In the day of internet searching, we can just find the answer with a few clicks. That’s probably a good idea—although not everything online is trustworthy (in case you didn’t know that). Blanching (sometimes called “pre-treatment”) is a process by which you submerge fruits and vegetables into boiling water to stop enzymatic activity that promotes decay, and to soften a tough skin that might prevent proper storage.
Here are a few quick tips to know if you should blanch food:
1) If you have to blanch it to freeze it, you have to blanch it to dehydrate it too.
2) If a food is frozen without blanching but should have been blanched, it is still safe to eat. It might have a strange texture and color, but put it into a soup and give it a fancy name.
3) Blanching kills specific enzymes that speed decay. You food is likely to last longer if you take the time to do this step.
4) Some foods are just fine without blanching, like tomatoes, green peppers, and other night shades. I also freeze chopped onions from time to time and never blanch them, yet have great success.
5) Get the food as dry as possible before freezing, or you risk freezer burn (which shortens the life of the food, defeating the purpose).
6) Many foods take on a stronger flavor and tougher texture if you do not blanch them (leafy greens generally follow this rule).
7) Foods that are naturally high in acid do not generally need to be blanched; likewise, using citric acid or lemon juice on the food prior to storage will help slow down the enzyme-activated decay (slow down, never stop).
How to Blanch Food:
1) Place the food into a colander that fits snuggly into a pan of boiling water. If the food as a skin, such as a berry, they will often split. The food should not actually cook but only be immersed for several minutes (fruits are less than vegetables). You can find times listed online.
2) Immediately stop the blanching by running cold water over the food
3) Towel dry the food, let it air dry if possible to remove moisture
4) Use a vacuum sealer before freezing food to eliminate the oxidization (thus, the opportunity for freezer burn). The food will last indefinitely and retain the maximum amount of nutritional value as possible for frozen food.
Still Unsure, Consider These Resources:
Making & Using Dried Foods by Phyllis Hobson
This awesome book gives you great detail for the general processes of drying foods (whether by sun, dehydrator, or conventional oven) and for each individual food you want to preserve. It is a resource you will turn to time and again. In fact, there is an entire section devoted to the subject of pre-treatment (blanching).
Preserve It Naturally: The Complete Guide to Food Dehydration
We give you this book for free when you purchase an Excalibur from Pantry Paratus, but you can get it separately. This is my personal choice for the go-to reference guide; the photography and instructions are extremely helpful.
If you are curious about a food’s best method, test it for yourself! Do not be afraid to do a 1/2 of a dehydrator tray each way. See what you personally like best. Taste them, note color and texture differences, and put some of both methods away for storage, marking them clearly. Over time, you will learn what you prefer, and it might not be what the internet said.
Produce, prepare, and preserve–
Chaya
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