What is the purpose of blanching vegetables before cooking?

Blanching vegetables before cooking serves a significant role in preserving their overall quality, particularly when it comes to freezing or further cooking. This technique involves briefly immersing the vegetables in boiling water and then quickly cooling them in ice water.

The primary purpose of blanching is to help maintain the vibrant color, crisp texture, and essential nutrients of the vegetables. By denaturing enzymes that can lead to loss of flavor, color, and texture during storage, blanching ensures that the vegetables retain their best qualities. This process also helps in reducing the vitamin loss that can occur when vegetables are frozen.

While enhancing the flavor and making vegetables easier to digest are beneficial byproducts of cooking methods, they are not the main objectives of blanching. Additionally, while blanching may simplify subsequent cooking steps by softening the vegetables slightly, its most critical purpose lies in maintaining the integrity of the vegetables for preservation or immediate cooking.