Blanching is a process used in cooking where vegetables and fruits are submerged in boiling water for a period of time, removed from the water and placed in ice-cold water. There are positive and negative effects when using this process.
The positive effects include:
- Removing pesticides that are still attached to the fruit and vegetables
- Retaining color, flavor, and nutrition
- Reducing contamination for microorganisms
The negative effects are:
- Reducing nutrients that are sensitive to heat and can be dissolved in water
- Creating wastewater