Blanching vegetables before freezing prevents enzymes from breaking them down, improving flavor, color, nutrients, and texture. Boiling, steaming, or microwaving can be used, and the time depends on the vegetable. Blanching cleans vegetables and retains nutrients, while failing to blanch can result in loss of flavor and nutrients. Over-blanching can also cause problems.
Blanched vegetables are those that have been boiled or steamed before freezing to prevent enzymes from breaking down the vegetables. Blanching stops the enzymatic breakdown of the vegetable while it is in the freezer. This improves the flavour, colour, nutrient content and texture of the vegetable when frozen. Failure to blanch vegetables before freezing can cause loss of flavor and hardening of the vegetable.
When a vegetable grows on a plant, enzymes work to make it grow and ripen. These enzymes continue to work even after the vegetables are harvested. Simply freezing a vegetable does not delay this process. Blanching vegetables is the only method to prevent these enzymes from further aging the vegetable. Unblanched frozen vegetables often don’t taste right and can be tougher and dull in color.
The main methods of blanching vegetables are boiling, steaming or microwaving. The time it takes to blanch a vegetable depends on the specific type of vegetable. There are many guides online listing times for blanching vegetables.
To blanch vegetables, you need a large kettle of water. One gallon (3.78 L) of water should be used for 1 pound (0.45 kg) of vegetables. While the vegetables are boiling or steaming, you need to prepare a separate pot with the same amount of water. Ice should then be added to this water.
After the vegetables have been boiled or steamed for the indicated amount of time, they should be immersed in the pot of ice water. The vegetables should be left in the ice water for the same duration they were in the heat. Blanched vegetables should be drained or removed from the ice water and then packaged and placed in a freezer as normal.
Blanched vegetables are cleaned of dirt and microorganisms. The process also stops the enzymes that age vegetables in the freezer. Blanched vegetables have a vibrant color and retain their vitamins and minerals.
Failing to blanch vegetables before freezing them usually results in a loss of flavor, color, vitamins and minerals. The benefits gained from blanching a vegetable are well worth the time spent on this process for many people. Not blanching vegetables can waste the food and time spent growing them.
Blanching vegetables is a relatively precise science. Overdone or overcooked veggies aren’t much different than not doing it at all. Searing vegetables cause increased enzyme activity, which prematurely ages vegetables in the freezer. Over-blanching vegetables can cause a loss of flavor, color, and minerals. Anyone looking to blanch vegetables should be sure to find out the exact amount of time it takes to blanch specific vegetables.
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