Directions:
- Wash, drain, sort, trim and cut vegetables.
- Use 1 gallon of water per 1 pound of prepared vegetable.
- Submerge vegetable into boiling water (may use wire basket, coarse mesh bag or perforated metal strainer)
- Cover. Start counting blanching time as soon as water returns to a boil.
- Keep heat high for 3 minutes if blanching whole kohlrabi and 1 minute if blanching cubes of kohlrabi.
- Cool immediately in ice water or cold water for the same time used in blanching.
- Drain vegetable thoroughly. Use in recipe as directed or pack for freezing.
| Vegetable | Blanching In boiling water (minutes) | Blanching in steam (minutes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beans – snap, green or wax | 3 | 5 | |
| Beans – lima, butter or pinto | Small | 2 | 3 |
| Beans – lima, butter or pinto | Medium | 3 | 5 |
| Beans – lima, butter or pinto | Large | 4 | 6 |
| Broccoli – flowerets | 1 1/2 inches across | 3 | 5 |
| Brussels sprouts | Small heads | 3 | 5 |
| Brussels sprouts | Medium heads | 4 | 6 |
| Brussels sprouts | Large heads | 5 | 7 |
| Cabbage or Chinese cabbage | Shredded | 1 1/2 | 2 1/2 |
| Carrots | Small, whole | 5 | 8 |
| Carrots | Diced, sliced or strips | 2 | 3 |
| Cauliflower – flowerets | 1 inch | 3 | 5 |
| Celery | 3 | – | |
| Corn – corn-on-the-cob | Small ears (cooling time is twice the time of blanching) | 7 | 10 |
| Corn – corn-on-the-cob | Medium ears (cooling time is twice the time of blanching) | 9 | 13 |
| Corn – corn-on-the-cob | Large ears (cooling time is twice the time of blanching) | 11 | 16 |
| Corn – whole kernel or cream style | Ears blanched before cutting corn from cob. (cooling time is twice the time of blanching) | 4 | 6 |
| Eggplant | 4 | 6 | |
| Greens – collards | 3 | 5 | |
| Greens – all other | 2 | 3 | |
| Kohlrabi | Whole | 3 | – |
| Kohlrabi | Cubes | 1 | – |
| Mushrooms | Whole (pretreat soak 5 min. in anti-darkening solution: 1 tsp. of lemon juice or 1 ½ tsp. of citric acid to a pint of water.) | – | 9 |
| Mushrooms | Buttons or quarters (pretreat soak 5 min. in anti-darkening solution: 1 tsp. of lemon juice or 1 ½ tsp. of citric acid to a pint of water.) | – | 9 |
| Mushrooms | Slices (pretreat soak 5 min. in anti-darkening solution: 1 tsp. of lemon juice or 1 ½ tsp. of citric acid to a pint of water.) | – | 5 |
| Okra | Small pods | 3 | 5 |
| Okra | Large pods | 5 | 8 |
| Onions | (blanch until center heated) | 3-7 | – |
| Onions | Rings | 10-15 seconds | – |
| Peas – edible pod | 2-3 | 4-5 | |
| Peas – green | 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 | 3-5 | |
| Peppers – sweet | Halves | 3 | 5 |
| Peppers – sweet | Strips or rings | 2 | 3 |
| Potatoes – Irish (new) | 3-5 | 5-8 | |
| Rutabagas | 3 | 5 | |
| Soybeans – green | 5 | – | |
| Squash – summer | 3 | 5 | |
| Turnips | 1/2 inch cubes | 3 | 5 |
Blanching instructions from: UMN Extension
