Are you wondering how to blanch broccoli? This guide will let you know everything you need to know about cutting and blanching broccoli. Blanching broccoli ensures that your broccoli has the best taste, texture, and color. It also makes it easy for you to cook the broccoli in the right place.
What is flash freezing?
Freezing flash is a rapidly used process to freeze small items individually and store them quickly. It helps retain nutrients by stopping cell deformation.
Flash freezing is all the rage on the cooking shows with fancy machines that freeze at extremely low temperatures with circulating air.
Flash freezing is a common practice for home cooks, where food items are transferred into an airtight container and stored in the freezer for a couple of hours before spreading them out on a baking sheet to freeze individually. However, this process involves longer periods of freezing compared to other methods.
Just ensure that whichever pan or baking sheet you utilize can effortlessly fit into your freezer.
This freezing method keeps individual pieces from fusing together during the freezing process and allows you to easily portion out the amount you want to cook rather than having to cook the entire lot.
It is tough and more prone to overcooking your broccoli if you start the cooking process with warm water. Don’t thaw the food in warm water, instead add cool water to it. If you have frozen it, place the bag of broccoli in the freezer or at room temperature to thaw.
I know it’s not the most exciting recipe, but we all have to eat our veggies. 😉 I’ll be back next week with something more fun.
If you have any additional inquiries regarding how to blanch broccoli, I would be happy to respond to them below. Enjoy!
What to do with blanched broccoli
You can add broccoli florets to soups or salads and serve it as an amazing side dish by quickly stir-frying it. There are many things you can do with blanched vegetables.
These cooking instructions can help you begin:
What is blanching?
Blanching is a simple cooking method often used with a variety of vegetables or fruits, where they are briefly cooked by plunging them into scalding water.
It’s typically followed by shocking which is to submerge the fruits or vegetables into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Blanching is a cooking method used before sautéing vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower, which eliminates bitterness and helps to tenderize hard vegetables such as carrots.
In the midst of your busy week, you can even parboil a week’s worth of diced vegetables to conserve time, and the procedure requires approximately 10 minutes.
How to cut broccoli
Let’s begin from the start. When trimming broccoli, commence from the base. Prune approximately an inch off the stem.
If the tree trunk seems dried out, woody, hollow, or appears tough, continue trimming until you reach the soft green core.
It is recommended to use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer skin of the fibrous stem, although it will increase the cooking time. Both the stem and the florets can be eaten.
Once the outer layer is removed, separate the stem from the head or “crown” and slice the individual florets.
If the florets are too big, pull the pieces apart into bite-sized smaller florets and slice down the middle. Cut the broccoli florets by slicing straight through the trunk at the top where the branches meet.
Don’t forget to shred them evenly and spiralize them, you can cut them into thin strips, small julienne, cubes, or round discs! And don’t forget about the stems.
They can be used in a variety of dishes, such as stir-frys, soups, and frittatas, and are even more delicious and sweet than florets.
How to blanch broccoli
Blanching broccoli is extremely easy. To start, you should bring a pot of water with salt to a boil on high heat.
Boil the broccoli in the vigorously boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the size of the florets. Carefully lower it into the water.
While the broccoli is being cooked, prepare a spacious bowl of chilled water with ice cubes close by.
The broccoli should be vibrant green and slightly tender when you delicately extract it with a slotted spoon.
Then promptly submerge it into the chilled bath.
This halts the cooking procedure and maintains your broccoli from becoming overcooked, which could result in it appearing soft and flavorless.
Once the broccoli has cooled down completely, remove the water and gently dry it with a paper towel before storing.
Blanched broccoli can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for several days before adding it to your favorite healthy soup or serving it in bowls.