Blanched Broccoli
Blanching is a cooking method where vegetables are quickly boiled or steamed, then plunged into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. This technique locks in the bright color and fresh flavor of the vegetable, softens the texture for a crisp-tender bite, preserves nutrients, and helps prepare veggies before freezing to keep their quality intact.For broccoli, blanching takes just a few minutes and can make the difference between dull, limp florets and vibrant, delicious ones.
Instructions
- Cut the broccoli: Cut the broccoli florets into uniform pieces for even cooking. Peel, trim, and chop any tough stalks if you plan to cook them
- Boil water: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. You'll want the water to be salty—about 1 to 2 tablespoons of salt per gallon to help season the broccoli and maintain its color.
- Cook the broccoli: Add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes (less for florets and more for stalks), or until the pieces turn bright green and are tender-crisp when you pierce them with a knife.
- Drain the broccoli: As soon as the broccoli turns bright green and is at your desired tenderness, drain well.
- Shock in ice water: Quickly (and carefully!) transfer the cooked broccoli to a large bowl of ice water. This stops the cooking process and locks in their color and texture.
- Drain: After the broccoli is cool to the touch, drain in a colander to remove excess liquid. Jiggle the colander gently to release any excess water.
- Dry: If you are going to be refrigerating the blanched broccoli for more than a day, store it DRY. Arrange the blanched veggies on a half sheet pan lined with paper towels to remove excess moisture before using. If necessary, pat dry with paper towels.
