What is the purpose of blanching vegetables?

Blanching vegetables involves briefly boiling them and subsequently plunging them into ice water. This method serves multiple purposes, primarily to maintain a crunchy texture and enhance the vibrant colors of the vegetables. By quickly cooking the outer layer while preserving the crispness and preventing overcooking, blanching effectively locks in color, nutrients, and flavor. It also helps to deactivate enzymes that can lead to loss of flavor, color, and texture during storage.

Although some might think of blanching as a method for thorough cooking, that would lead to overcooked vegetables, which would compromise their texture and nutritional quality. Additionally, while flavor can be enhanced through cooking processes, blanching is not primarily intended for infusing or intensifying flavor. The process is also often a preparatory step for freezing vegetables, but it doesn’t itself preserve them without alterations; rather, it prepares them for further processing or storage. Thus, the primary purpose of blanching aligns with maintaining a crunchy texture and bright color.