Technique: Blanch & Shock

Blanched & Shocked rainbow chard, peas and carrots

Plunging vegetables into boiling water and then into ice water is a technique called 'blanch and shock.' Blanching softens vegetables and shocking stops the cooking process and sets the color.

½ - 2 lbs. vegetables, rinsed, trimmed and cut into even pieces, as needed

Blanch: Bring 3-4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a 6-8 quart pot. Set a colander into the sink. Find a slotted spoon, tongs or a 'spider'. Plan to work in batches. Plunge vegetables into boiling water and return to boil. Use a timer to avoid overcooking. Use your utensil to lift the veggies out of the water and place in the colander. Don't pour blanching water over veggies, it may have sand in it.

Shock: Before cooking vegetables, fill a large bowl with salted cold water and add ice. Immediately transfer cooked vegetables from colander to the ‘ice bath.’ Remove once veggies are cool, about 3-5 minutes, and drain. (Squeeze out leafy vegetables using a towel.) 

Blanched and shocked vegetables can be eaten cold, or can be cooked again, like in a stir-fry or a classic green-bean casserole.

Blanching times:

Carrots, Baby Turnips or Radishes‒ 3 minutes
Fava Beans‒ 1 minute
Green Beans‒ 3 minutes
Hearty Greens‒ 2-3 minutes
Bok Choy / Pac Choi‒ 2-4 minutes
Shelled peas‒ 1-2 minutes
Snap or Snow Peas‒ 3 minutes