Blanch is a word you may hear often in regards to cooking. Some of you may know what it means and some of you are guessing.

According to Webster, to blanch is to take the color from. Yes, a woman's face can be blanched when a really scary movie finally shows the monster, but in the kitchen, it is used to describe a technique where food is placed in boiling water and quickly removed. In some cases, the food is removed from the boiling water and placed immediately into ice water to halt the cooking process.

There are many foods that can be blanched. Blanching certain fruits can assist in peeling the skin such as peaches and tomatoes. Blanching can also be used to brighten up the color on green veggies. You'll find asparagus and green beans are popular foods to be blanched for this reason.

Now that you're clear on the definition, give it a try at your next meal.

-Suzy