Glossary of food terms: B

Blanch

The process of plunging food, frequently vegetables, into and out of boiling water for just a few seconds or minutes. Blanching preserves the colour and texture of food, and can be used to get rid of strong flavours (such as older garlic cloves). Blanching can also be used to par-cook food. For example, potatoes can be blanched before roasting or sautéing. The process can also help to loosen the skins of nuts, tomatoes or other fruits before skinning them.