What is the purpose of blanching vegetables before freezing?

Blanching vegetables before freezing serves the important purpose of preserving color, texture, and nutritional value. During blanching, vegetables are briefly immersed in boiling water, then rapidly cooled in ice water. This process halts enzyme actions that can lead to loss of flavor, color, and texture during storage.

The rapid cooking that occurs during blanching helps to set the vibrant colors of the vegetables, prevents them from becoming mushy during freezing, and helps retain their vitamins and minerals. This means that when the vegetables are later cooked after being frozen, they retain a similar quality to fresh ones, making them more appealing and nutritious.

While enhancing flavor and color may be a benefit of blanching, the primary focus is on retaining the quality of the vegetables during storage. Making the vegetables softer is not a goal of blanching, as it aims to keep them crisp. As for reducing cooking time, that is a secondary effect that can occur once the vegetables are thawed and cooked, but it is not the primary purpose of the blanching process.