Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Blanching is a technique in which you briefly cook vegetables and then immerse them in ice water. Green vegetables such as green asparagus are especially good for this technique, as it helps preserve the flavor, crunchy texture and bright green color. You can serve the vegetables immediately after blanching, or you can prepare them further by baking them, for example. You can also freeze many vegetables well after blanching. Below you can read how to blanch green asparagus.

To step

1. Choose green asparagus. The asparagus should be straight and firm.
   • The asparagus should be bright green with no brown bits. The tip should be tightly closed.
   • Buy asparagus that are the same in thickness so that they cook evenly.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of salt to the water and bring it back to a boil.
   • Adding salt not only makes the asparagus tastier, you also increase the boiling point of the water. This way you can prepare your food more efficiently.
3. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Fill a bowl 2/3 full with water. Add 6 to 10 ice cubes and let it stand for a while.
   • Placing the asparagus in the ice bath will stop the cooking process. You keep the asparagus in the ice bath for as long as they have cooked.
4. Boil the asparagus. Place the asparagus in the boiling water and cook until they turn bright green. This takes about 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus.
   • Start recording the blanching time as soon as the water starts to boil with the asparagus.
   • Small asparagus is cooked for about 2 minutes, medium sized asparagus about 3 minutes and large asparagus about 4 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the heat when the asparagus is cooked. When the asparagus are bright green and crispy, remove them from the pan using a perforated spoon or a small strainer. Immediately put them in the ice water.
6. Drain the asparagus. Place the asparagus on a baking tray lined with kitchen paper to remove the excess water.
   • If you have prepared the asparagus in advance to take them to a picnic, for example, put them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag lined with kitchen paper.
7. Serve. You can serve the asparagus immediately, but you can also prepare them in other dishes.
   • Blanching is an important step when preparing the vegetables for freezing. Blanching them first preserves texture, color and flavor.
   • Blanching also ensures that vegetables are clean and that the vitamins are better preserved. It is also better to package and take blanched vegetables with you.

Tips

• Before serving, add some sea salt and olive oil to the asparagus.

Warnings

• Asparagus does not last longer than 2 to 3 days. So prepare them soon after you buy them.

Necessities

• asparagus
• Pan
• Water
• Scale
• Ice cubes
• salt
• Colander
• Spoon with holes
• Tang