Blanching and Shocking Green Vegetables

Any vegetable may be blanched or par-cooked as part of a kitchen’s mise en place, but green vegetables in particular benefit by the preservation of their green color. As green vegetables cook, they release enzymes which attack their color pigments.  Boiling the water destroys these enzymes.  The use of salt helps reduce the loss of these pigments to the water as well as seasoning the vegetables. Blanching vegetables in a large pot of water helps to maintain water at a boil.

If preparing well ahead of time, blanch AND shock the items. If preparing for immediate use, there’s no need to shock in ice water.

Blanching and Shocking Green Vegetables
Blanching and Shocking Green Vegetables
Ingredients
  • 2tablespoons coarse saltper quart of boiling water
  • a/n green vegetablessuch as green beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach, green herbs, etc.
Yield:
Instructions
  1. Trim and cut items roughly same size for uniform blanching.
  2. Fill a pot of sufficient size to hold the vegetables without crowding 2/3 full with water.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of coarse sea salt for each quart water.
  4. Bring water to a boil over high heat and add items to be blanched to pot.
  5. Don’t cover and don’t overcrowd; blanch in small batches to maintain water’s boil.
  6. Boil vegetables until just tender but still crisp, approximately 2-3 minutes.
  7. Test for doneness. Vegetables should be blanched until the “crunch” is gone, but there is still some resistance.
  8. Transfer vegetables to a 4-6 qt pan filled with ice and water. This water MUST stay cold. If ice starts to melt, add more.
  9. Remove vegetables with slotted spoon or strainer as soon as cool to the touch.
  10. Dry and hold chilled for service or use immediately.