What term means to partially cook fruits, vegetables, or nuts in boiling water to loosen skins?

• A. Blanching
• B. Braising
• C. Bouquet Garni
• D. Boiling

Answer: (A)

Blanching is briefly cooking fruits, vegetables, or nuts in boiling water, then plunging them into ice water to stop the cooking. This quick heat treatment loosens the skins so you can peel them easily, which is handy for tomatoes, peaches, almonds, or peas. It also helps brighten color and preserves texture while slowing enzyme actions that can dull flavor and color during storage. If you cook them longer without the ice-water shock, you’d be cooking them through rather than blanching, so the skins wouldn’t peel as easily. Other techniques differ in purpose: braising uses slow, moist-heat cooking in liquid; a bouquet garni is simply a bundle of herbs for flavoring; boiling is cooking foods fully in water without the rapid cool-down step.