Potatoes are essential vegetables in many diets; however, it is not easy to find the way to cook them to perfection. Blanching them gives you a little advantage in the kitchen, since this procedure reduces the time of frying or boiling; the tubers treated in this way can also be frozen and used at a later time. This is a pretty simple job, just cut the potatoes into cubes and simmer them until tender; you can cook them immediately or freeze them for reheating later.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Starting the Process
Step 1. Peel the potatoes
Use a potato peeler, place it on the tuber and carefully apply light pressure on the blade. Run the tool over the entire external surface by removing the peel; throw the latter in the trash.
Some people prefer to leave it for its nutrient content, although this takes a little longer; if you prefer unpeeled potatoes, you can skip this step
Step 2. Cut it to the desired size
You should cut them into cubes to blanch them; depending on the recipe you are following or your personal preferences, the cubes can vary in size. If you are cooking French fries, you should cut the tubers into wedges, not cubes.
- Use a sturdy knife and a wooden cutting board; place the potato on the surface to start cutting it.
- Slice it in half lengthwise, making sure the blade goes through all the vegetables; some vegetables are a little harder to cut than others, so don't hesitate to use force.
- Take each half and divide it lengthwise into three parts creating three large wedges; at this point, you can cut them into cubes or, if you are cooking french fries, leave them as they are.
Step 3. Wash the potatoes
Before putting them in the pot, you need to wash them to remove traces of starch. Put them in a colander and put them under the tap of running water for a couple of minutes or until they are well washed; if there are any traces of dirt or stains, remember to remove them.
Generally, you can wash them with running water; if you notice dirt or stubborn soil, you can scrub them with your hands, but make sure they are clean
Step 4. Bring in tap water at room temperature
To blanch the potatoes, the water must have this temperature; pour some of the lukewarm one into a pot and wait a few minutes.
- You can check the temperature by inserting your finger into the bowl, but remember to wash your hands first.
- Warm tap water has a similar temperature to room temperature, so there's no need to wait too long.
Step 5. Put the potatoes in the water
Transfer the ones you just cut into the pot.
When blanching some vegetables you should add salt to the water before proceeding, but this is not the case with potatoes
Step 6. Place the pan on the stove over high heat until the water starts to simmer
Then reduce the heat. You should avoid boiling potatoes, otherwise they burn easily when you use them in your recipe; reduce the heat so that the water barely moves; generally, you need to set the heat to medium-low.
- Check them periodically; the duration of the process depends on how many potatoes you are blanching.
- To avoid accidentally cooking them, proceed with extreme caution; set the stove to low instead of medium.
Part 2 of 3: Continue Blanching the Potatoes
Step 1. Make ice water while the potatoes simmer
Once scalded, you have to cool them in ice water; in this way, you stop cooking and preserve the color. Get a large enough bowl that can hold water, ice and vegetable slices; fill it and add a few ice cubes until the liquid is cool to the touch.
Remember to wash your hands before touching the cold water
Step 2. After 12 minutes, check the cooking level using a knife
Potatoes need this time to reach the correct temperature and you can test them with a pointed cutlery.
They should be soft on the outside but the fork or knife shouldn't be able to go through them easily. The tip of the cutlery should just enter the surface; if it manages to pierce the tuber without difficulty, it means that the latter is completely cooked and not blanched, in which case, you have to start over
Step 3. If necessary, continue cooking
If the vegetables are so hard that you cannot skewer them with a fork or knife, continue cooking them for a couple of minutes and check them again; proceed with care and remain vigilant, you must avoid boiling them completely by mistake.
Step 4. Take them off the heat
Once blanched, drain them in the sink using a colander or sieve; immediately transfer them to the ice water bath until they are cool to the touch.
The potatoes cool quickly, check them after a few seconds and take them out of the water as soon as they have reached the appropriate temperature
Part 3 of 3: Using Blanched Potatoes
Step 1. Pat them dry once they have cooled down
Remove the potatoes from the ice water bath and drain them over the sink using a colander or sieve; arrange them on a few sheets of kitchen paper and tampon.
Step 2. Roast, cook or fry them
If you need to use them immediately, you can proceed with your preparation. Blanched potatoes fry and roast faster than totally raw ones; simply cook them according to the recipe instructions.
- Add some spices. This vegetable alone has a rather neutral flavor, so you can enrich it with different flavors. You may like spicy potatoes with cayenne pepper or you may want a more salty flavor using garlic salt.
- You can buy spice packs at grocery stores; for example, you can take a sachet of cajun and spread the powder over the cooked potatoes.
Step 3. Freeze them if you want to use them later
This rapid boiling process typically precedes the freezing process to extend the shelf life of the vegetables. If you have decided to put them in the freezer, transfer them to an airtight plastic container; remember to leave about 1 cm between the vegetables and the lid.
- You can use a zip lock bag; don't forget to let out as much air as possible.
- For best results, freeze the potatoes at a very low temperature; this way you can keep them longer.
Advice
- Avoid getting burned with boiling water; wear an apron and a long-sleeved shirt so the water doesn't touch the skin directly.
- Prepare all materials in advance. It is important that the pot of boiling water and the ice water bath are ready before starting the procedure; in this way, you do not waste precious time organizing things while the potatoes risk overcooking in the pan.
