Claire’s tip of the week: How to blanch bitter greens (2024)

FAQs

Claire’s tip of the week: How to blanch bitter greens? ›

Bring a large pot of water to boil, using enough water to cover the vegetables. Add salt, to taste, and the greens, using a large spoon to submerge. Cook until stems are just tender when pierced with a fork, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer greens to an ice bath to cool and drain again.

Many recipes just have you chopping the greens and adding them to the frying pan with a little bacon and fat. If those greens are REALLY bitter and tough, that is not enough to help make those greens taste good. So, blanching in a little hot water for 30 seconds to 1 minute can really help.

Blanch Them

Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.

Braise them. For sturdy greens with a bite, like rapini, collards, kale, and turnip greens, consider braising. Not only will this slow-cooking cut the bitterness, but it will also soften the otherwise tough leaves.

If greens are not blanched properly, they will lose their fresh flavor quickly in frozen storage. Steam blanching of greens is not recommended as the leaves mat together and do not blanch properly. Collard greens blanch for three minutes. Other greens for blanch two minutes.

That's how to tell if the greens are clean and won't taste gritty when cooked. Add baking soda. Adding a pinch to the water once you begin the cooking process helps to keep the color of the greens more vibrant.

In the case of collard greens, baking soda's utility is threefold, serving as a flavor enhancer, a tenderizer, and a color protector. Baking soda is an alkali salt possessing the tenderizing and flavor-enhancing properties of regular salt.

Wash greens and roots well. Some suggest soaking the greens in a little salty water. One turnip website from the United Kingdom notes that if you boil them, add a little sugar to tame the scent and add baking soda to reduce bitterness.

Blanching is scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short time. It is typically followed by quick, thorough cooling in very cold or ice water. Blanching stops enzyme actions which otherwise cause loss of flavor, color and texture.

Just before blanching the vegetables, add couple of tablespoons of salt to the boiling water. Salt helps to maintain color and improve flavor, but it may be omitted if you wish. Add the vegetables to the pot in small batches so that the water continues to boil.

What are the disadvantages of blanching? ›

Lack of nutrients in cooking water, high energetic costs, high water consumption and recycling are some drawbacks of vegetable blanching.

Blanching erases all traces of bitterness. Note: it also erases the heat from mustard greens for better or worse, depending on preference. Improves digestibility. If you've got a finicky digestive system, raw hearty greens can cause some distress.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem the greens and wash the leaves in 2 rinses of water. When the water comes to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the greens. Blanch for 2 minutes, until tender. Transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water, then drain and squeeze the water out from its leaves.

Several traditional methods can be used to process bitter leaf. These include soaking over night, scuffing (squeeze-washing) with salt and without salt, blanching, use of potash and the use of palm oil.