A resident of the Charlotte, NC area, Bradley “Brad” Berfield has a professional leadership background in the logistics management sphere. With a passion for culinary excellence, Bradley Berfield enjoys exploring French techniques and ingredients in his cooking endeavors. One of the most basic and yet essential techniques employed when preparing vegetables is blanching. Derived from the French word for “whiten,” it involves boiling fresh vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, and green beans for a couple minutes, followed by quick immersion in a bowl containing ice. This plunging of the vegetables in ice serves several purposes, starting with preventing overcooking. At the same time, it preserves the brightness of the vegetable and avoids discoloration. It also helps take away strong bitter notes, while locking in desired flavors and nutrients. The vegetables can then be easily incorporated in a variety of recipes, or served with dips as part of a crudite platter. Blanching is also used as a way of preparing green vegetables for freezing. Keep in mind that items such as bell peppers, corn, squash, carrots, and potatoes do not benefit from this preparatory step.

1. BLANCHING - A TECHNIQUE OF
LOCKING IN VEGETABLE TEXTURE AND
FLAVOR
Bradley Berfield

2. INTRODUCTION
A resident of the Charlotte, NC area, Bradley “Brad” Berfield has a
professional leadership background in the logistics management
sphere. With a passion for culinary excellence, Bradley Berfield enjoys
exploring French techniques and ingredients in his cooking endeavors.

3. One of the most basic and yet essential techniques employed when
preparing vegetables is blanching. Derived from the French word
for “whiten,” it involves boiling fresh vegetables such as broccoli,
asparagus, zucchini, and green beans for a couple minutes,
followed by quick immersion in a bowl containing ice.

4. This plunging of the vegetables in ice serves several purposes,
starting with preventing overcooking. At the same time, it
preserves the brightness of the vegetable and avoids discoloration.
It also helps take away strong bitter notes, while locking in desired
flavors and nutrients. The vegetables can then be easily
incorporated in a variety of recipes, or served with dips as part of a
crudite platter.

5. Blanching is also used as a way of preparing green vegetables for
freezing. Keep in mind that items such as bell peppers, corn,
squash, carrots, and potatoes do not benefit from this preparatory
step.