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ddsack · February 13, 2020

I don't blanch broccoli for 2 minutes, unlike other things like sweet corn or beans.
I blanch in serving size pieces, putting the more solid stem pieces without florets into the boiling water first, when the water returns to a boil, I put in the florets, dunking them with a spoon so that they all get submersed at some point. I remove them when they have turned the darker green, maybe after just 30 seconds to a minute, tops. I have very cold tap water from our deep well, so they go into several changes of cold water in a dishpan sized container until they are cool enough to drain and bag up. I believe freezing itself causes some limpness, so they will never be as crisp as fresh, but I think reducing the blanch time helps.

February 13, 2020	#9
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,220	I don't blanch broccoli for 2 minutes, unlike other things like sweet corn or beans. I blanch in serving size pieces, putting the more solid stem pieces without florets into the boiling water first, when the water returns to a boil, I put in the florets, dunking them with a spoon so that they all get submersed at some point. I remove them when they have turned the darker green, maybe after just 30 seconds to a minute, tops. I have very cold tap water from our deep well, so they go into several changes of cold water in a dishpan sized container until they are cool enough to drain and bag up. I believe freezing itself causes some limpness, so they will never be as crisp as fresh, but I think reducing the blanch time helps. __________________ Dee **************