7. Banish Bitterness By Blanching
Blanching is an excellent way to prevent veg from going to mush when you roast, pan fry, or saute, but did you know that it’s also ideal if you need to ensure crispness when you serve them up raw?
It’s simple to blanch vegetables – just bring a saucepan to boil, then plunge veggies into it for 2-3 minutes before taking them out and submerging them in icy water, to stop them from continuing to cook. This helps to avoid any bitterness, which can be a problem when serving veg raw – but it also helps your veggies to hold onto their texture and colour too.
There’s another solid reason you should consider blanching veg – the process not only helps to reduce the loss of nutrients and reduces cooking time, it also removes bacteria and organisms. When it comes to blanching, remember, time is of the essence, as under-blanching vegetables is worse than not blanching at all. This is because when you under-blanch it stimulates the enzymes in your food, which can result in a serious loss of flavour.
Don’t use a microwave to hasten the process either, as one of the main reasons for blanching is to deactivate the aforementioned enzymes in your veg – and microwaves can’t be relied upon to do this. Researchers found that vegetables that had been blanched in a microwave had a poorer texture, flavour, and colour than those blanched in water – so take a couple of extra minutes to blanch your vegetables the traditional way instead!
