How to Blanch Vegetables

One of my favorite summer activities is visiting my local farmers market on Saturday morning. I always leave with a variety of fresh vegetables, perfect for my weekly meals.

I often have several veggies I don’t end up cooking with. I don’t want to waste them, so to the freezer they go! To preserve vegetables for food safety and quality, it’s recommended to blanch vegetables before freezing, drying, or dehydrating. How exactly do you blanch vegetables, though?

It’s not as complicated as it may sound. Blanching vegetables is simply the process of boiling vegetables, then immediately cooling them before freezing. Not only does it preserve quality and color, but it kills any bacteria that may be on the vegetables.

Here are the steps on how to blanch vegetables:

1. Fill the stockpot two-thirds full of cold water.
2. Place the pot on the stove and turn the burner to high heat.
3. While waiting for the water to boil, put fresh vegetables in a colander and rinse with cold water.
4. Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces or slices.
5. When the water is boiling, put in part of the vegetables. It’s important not to overcrowd the pot. Follow the recommended time for the vegetables you have prepared. Check out the link below for more info.
6. Remove from the boiling water and immediately soak in ice water until cold.
7. Pack in zip-top freezer bags. Be sure to write the date and vegetable on the bag!

Check out MSU Extension Publication 0974, “Freezing Vegetables,” to learn more about blanching. This will tell you which vegetables are suitable for freezing and give you the specific time for boiling them.