Blanching Vegetables for freezing or pickling

The natural enzymes help vegetable to grow and mature until they are harvested. After the vegetables have been harvested, they continue to remain active even when frozen or pickled making the pickles to be tough, effect the color and flavor. Blanching stops the action of the enzymes.

The purpose of blanching is not to sterilize or pasteurize vegetables. It may kill some but not all the surface micro-organisms

Blanching is done by either scalding vegetables in rapidly boiling water, or in a steamer for a short time period. The vegetables must be scalded just long enough to stop the enzyme reaction, but not too long to make them soft and mushy by breaking up the cell-walls.

Under-blanching stimulates enzyme activity and is worse than not blanching

Over-blanching causes loss of texture, color, flavor and vitamins

Vegetables are blanched for freezing or making Indian pickles.

How to blanch?

Water blanching is easier than steaming and more predictable than the microwave. The steps follow

Step 1 Bring water to a boil

Select a deep pot. Add one gallon of water per pound of vegetables to pot. Bring water to a boil

Step 2 Add Vegetables

Don not turn heat down. Add vegetables. Cover. Bring water to a boil again

It should come to a full boil within one minute. If it takes longer, you have either too little water or too much vegetables

Step 3 Time the Blanching process

As soon as the water comes to a boil after the vegetables have been added, you start a timer.

Time to blanch depends on the vegetable, cut of the vegetable etcetera. Blanching time of interest to Indian Cuisine are as follows

Bell Pepper (¼" thick rings): 2 Minutes

Broccoli ( 1½" across flowerets): 3 minutes

Cabbage Shredded: 1½ Minutes (90 seconds)

Carrots sliced: 2 minutes

Carrots small: 5 minutes

Cauliflower ( 1" across flowerets): 3 minutes

Cranberries: 1 Minute

Green beans : 3 minutes

Mattar (Green Peas): 1½ Minutes (90 seconds)

Okra (Small pods): 3 minutes

Okra (Large pods): 4 minutes

Onions (¼" thick onion rings): 15 seconds

Turnips (½" Cubes): 2 Minutes

Step 4 Cooling

Place a colander in the kitchen sink. As soon as the blanching time has expired, drain the vegetables in a colander. Turn on cold water tap on top of the vegetables in the colander for two to three minutes to cool off the vegetables.

Add ice cubes (2 cups of ice per pound of vegetables). Mix with the vegetables in the colander.

Step 5 Drain and dry

Whether you plan to pickle or freeze, the vegetables should be fully drained and dried. Extra moisture can cause loss of quality when frozen, and spoilage when pickled.

Scatter the vegetables on a cookie sheet in a single tier and dry the vegetables in hot sun for 4 hours. If such access is not feasible, dry the vegetables in the oven as follows

1. Preheat oven to lowest setting about 200º F.

2. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

3. Put the cookie sheet in the oven.

4. Do not close the oven door. Leave it ajar about 2 to 3 inches.

5. Remove the cookie sheet after 45 minutes.

If the vegetables are not yet dry enough, bake on temperature longer.