On Tuesday, July 16, 2013 9:00:26 AM UTC-7, Moe DeLoughan wrote:
On 7/15/2013 11:25 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:



Interesting. The diversity of views to blanch or not to blanch pretty much reflects what I found on-line.



Guess I'll have to set up a proper experiment:



1. Harvest quantity of beans early a.m. or late afternoon.



2. Wash and cut into 1" or less pieces.



3. Pack several bags with unblanched.



4. Pack equal quantity with blanched.



5. Use different colored bags or labels for blanch/non-blanch



6. Place in freezer.



7. After X period -- say 4-months -- eat some out of each kind.



8. But how avoid pre-determination bias? Have to get a neighbor to nuke them,

so I don't know which came out of blanch/non-blanch bags.



This should get me a Nobel prize.



Food science researchers determined that blanching is necessary. The

food processing companies (Green Giant, etc.) are convinced that it is

necessary. They wouldn't expend the additional effort and cost of

blanching if it wasn't obvious that it preserves the quality of the

product.



What my family has always done is pack the raw cleaned vegetables into

those heatproof vacuum-seal bags, seal the bags, then drop the bags

into boiling water to blanch. They then go into ice water for the

quick chill before going into the freezer. It's much less hassle

bagging them before blanching. It might also preserve a bit more

flavor, being that the juices aren't being washed away in the

water/ice baths.

Very interesting. Raises another question. If water is not contacting the veg -- which I assume is the ordinary definition of blanching?? -- why not pop the bags into the micro to "blanch"? (for what period of time, compared with water blanch?). Then into ice water, then freezer.

I strongly agree with you on preserving not only flavor, but also VITAMINS! When I nuke fresh veg with a tbsp of water, I always drink the water.

Tx

HB