Storage and Usage Tips
Water Blanching
It may be time to start preserving your veggies for the winter. Blanching is a classic technique for preserving vegetables. Vegetables are briefly boiled in water and then plunged into an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Water blanching helps to preserve both flavor and color; it also kills any micro-organisms that may be on the vegetables. You can also steam blanch your vegetables by keeping them above the boiling water instead of submerging them.
Have a large bowl of ice water ready. You also need a slotted spoon and a plate lined with a cloth or paper towel.
Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Doing this just before blanching prevents oxidation. Cut them into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking. Separate the stems from the leaves for vegetables like kale and chard.
Add the vegetables to the pot in small batches so that the water continues to boil. If blanching more than one type of vegetable, blanch each one separately and blanch lighter colored ones first, as darker colored ones will tinge the water and subsequent vegetables--and definitely blanch your chard stems last as the water will probably turn a remarkable color.
After about a minute, test for doneness with a fork. Keep testing every minute or so until the vegetables are cooked to your liking. Leafy greens generally take about 1-2 minutes; stems and pieces usually take between 3-5 minutes.
When the vegetables are done, quickly remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking process. (This is called "shocking.")
When the vegetables are completely cool, remove them from the ice water and drain on the towel-lined plate. The vegetables can now be frozen. These veggies can be added to soups, stews and quiches throughout the year.
