The importance of blanching vegetables

Blanching is a unit operation prior to freezing, canning, or drying in which fruits or vegetables are heated for the purpose of inactivating enzymes; modifying texture; preserving color, flavor, and nutritional value; and removing trapped air.

Blanching is a must for most vegetables to be frozen. It slows or stops the enzyme action which can cause loss of flavor, color and texture.

The blanching time is very important and varies with the vegetable and size. Under-blanching stimulates the activity of enzymes and is worse than no blanching. Over-blanching causes loss of flavor, color, vitamins and minerals.

Different hot water and steam blanchers have been designed to improve product quality, increase yield, and facilitate processing of products with different thermal properties and geometries.

Blanching cleans the surface from dirt and organisms, brightens the color and prevents loss of vitamins. It softens vegetables and makes them easier to pack.

The importance of blanching vegetables