Blanch: meaning, definitions and examples

cooking

To blanch means to briefly immerse food in boiling water, then transfer it to ice water to stop the cooking process. Blanching is commonly used to soften vegetables, remove skins from fruits or nuts, or prepare foods for freezing or canning.

boil, parboil, scald.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
blanch	Used when briefly boiling food, typically vegetables, and then plunging them into ice water to stop the cooking process. This method helps preserve color, texture, and nutrients. Before freezing the green beans, you should blanch them to keep their vibrant color

Examples of usage

• Blanch the tomatoes before peeling them.

• After blanching the broccoli, I will sauté it with garlic.

• Blanch the almonds to easily remove the skins.

• I always blanch green beans before freezing them.

• She blanched the cabbage leaves for the stuffed peppers.