Green Vegetables--Who Blanches In Salt Water?

Broccoli becomes a particularly stunning green after blanching :slight_smile:

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Even soaking in a cold salt water rinse before cooking will make broccoli a nice bright green.

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I wasn’t aware of that either. The WoL site had me blanch broccoli (and shrimp, surprisingly) for a stir-fry recipe. I thought it was rather universal, but I’m certainly not familiar with all the cuisines everywhere.

This is interesting. Have you done this A-B? If it’s pretty much the same result, the soak’d be simpler…

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Not sure what A-B means.

We salt the water in a stainless steel bowl in which we rinse cauliflower or broccoli. Let the begin the salted water for 10 or 15 minutes, drain it, then boil the broccoli/cauliflower in unsalted water or steam it.

I don’t usually roast or sautĆ© broccoli. it’s boiled (then dressed with olive oil and lemon at the table), steamed or occasionally added to a red thai curry. That’s about it…

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Oh, I meant in asking whether you’ve ever done it both ways (soak and blanch side-by-side) to compare the color of the finished vegetable.

Someone should ask Jenjii to pronounce on it…

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Oh, nope, haven’t tried that. I only usually blanch before freezing.
Maybe I will do this another time.

We didn’t have guys in our home ec class. Yeah, I’m that old. I would have loved to have been able to take a shop class.

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https://www.seriouseats.com/are-the-rules-of-big-pot-blanching-true#:~:text=The%20general%20wisdom%20for%20blanching,shock%20them%20in%20ice%20water.

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Interesting, thanks. Did I miss him comparing with just soaking? Maybe we should ask Dave Arnold instead?

I seem to remember McGee writing that it’s the heat and salt together that best ā€œfixesā€ the green color. No?

Also, the small pot conclusion is not something I necessarily agree with. I think not losing the boil is the most dependable/predictable state, and how you accomplish that matters little. I don’t want to have to wait to regain the boil. Likewise with the salinity–unless you measure and weigh, it’s a guesstimate. I’m habituated to 1C kosher in 10L water. If it’s a bigger batch, out comes the Buffalo iron.

I typically blanch green vegetables in very salty water then shock in cold water when I want to keep the vibrant green color. I’ve done this as long as I can remember. Historically there were specialty blanching pots made of unlined copper similar to a jam pan but deeper. Copper ions supposedly fix the color and prevent the chlorophyll from degrading under heat but I haven’t personally tried it since I am not sure if its considered safe anymore.

Very Interesting. Entirely possible. If you have any citations for this, I’d be grateful.

I don’t think there’s a safety issue, unless there’s verdigris. Most Americans are deficient in copper anyway.

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Guys were taking Home Ec when I was in Grade 9 and 10 in the late 80s. It was sort of seen as a bird course.

I never took Home Ec, which was an elective. I couldn’t even fit the art, music and drama classes I wanted to take in with my science, maths and languages, and I was already cooking at home.

I bought a sewing machine and took a sewing class when I was 43. :rofl:

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Yes to blanching but typically in unsalted water. Mainly because I recycle cooled cooking water to water plants. Also because I feel as though the veg in question isn’t spending enough time in the water to make a difference. Also, I have PTSD from growing up in droughty CA with a water conserving maniac father.

I do use salt when cooking pasta.

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Never thought of using cooking water for plants!

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I wonder if my kids think I am a maniac? :thinking: I think recycling food waste was the last (latest?) straw.

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Probably yes. I think it one of the stages of identity formation. I know my grown kids think I’m a maniac about certain things

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IMO, everybody’s a maniac about something. If you’re not, what’s the point of existing? The sooner each of us owns our individual weirdness, the better off we all are!

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I’m just a maniac. Period.

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I just steam my vegetables. No salt, nothing added.

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