Blanching (horticulture) explained

Blanching (horticulture) should not be confused with Blanching (cooking).

Blanching is a technique used in vegetable growing. Young shoots of a plant are covered to exclude light to prevent photosynthesis and the production of chlorophyll, and thus remain pale in color. Different methods used include covering with soil (hilling or earthing up) or with solid materials such as board or terracotta pots, or growing the crop indoors in darkened conditions.^{[1] [2]} Blanched vegetables generally tend to have a more delicate flavor and texture compared to those that are not blanched,^{[3] [4]} but blanching can also cause the vegetables to be lower in vitamin A.^[5]

Examples

Vegetables that are usually blanched include:^{[6] [7]}

• Cardoon
• Celery
• Chicory (Chicorium intybus), or common chicory, in the United States also called 'endive' (the common name for Chicorium endivia).^[8] Many varieties do not need artificial blanching because the outer leaves sufficiently protect the inner ones from light, such as 'sugar loaf' types, or because both their natural colour and bitterness are appreciated, like radicchio of which the red colour depends on the duration of exposure. Cultivars that require blanching may need 'forcing' the growth by (controlled) exposure of the crown. This is the case for Belgian endive (though it is not a botanical endive, but a chicory), also referred to by its names in French, chicon, and Dutch, witlof.^{[9] [10] [11] [12]}
• Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus)
• Leek
• Potato
• Sea kale (Crambe maritima)

Vegetables that are sometimes blanched include:^[6]

• Alexanders
• Asparagus grows stems that can be consumed naturally green, while young. Blanching cultivars by hilling results in the stem remaining white.
• Cabbage
• Dandelion
• Endive
• Lettuce
• Lovage
• Rhubarb

See also

• Etiolation – the botanical term for plants growing in insufficient light

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rhubarb, rhubarb. [BBC]. 18 June 2012.
2. Web site: Yorkshire Grown Indoor Rhubarb...The History. 18 June 2012. 23 June 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130623003127/http://www.yorkshirerhubarb.co.uk/Rhubarb%20History.htm. dead.
3. Book: United States. Dept. of Agriculture. Farmer's Bulletin. 1984. U.S. Government Printing Office. 2239. GoogleBooks. 23 March 2019. 7. Exposure to sunlight discolors the cauliflower curd and can produce off-flavors..
4. Book: Bubel. Mike. Bubel. Nancy. Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables. 1991. Storey Publishing. 65. 23 March 2019. 160342220X.
5. Book: Wyman, Donald. Wyman's Gardening Encyclopedia. 1986. Simon and Schuster. 202. 23 March 2019. 0026320703.
6. MM. Vilmorin-Andrieux; W.Robinson. 1885/undated. The vegetable garden: Illustrations, descriptions, and culture of the garden vegetables of cold and temperate climates, English Edition. Jeavons-Leler Press and Ten Speed Press. 1920 edition in Internet Archive
7. Web site: Salad Greens . The Cook's Thesaurus . Lori Alden . 1996–2005 . 25 August 2011 .
8. Web site: How to Grow Chicory, Belgian Endive, and Radicchio . [Harvest to Table] . 25 August 2011 .
9. Web site: Chicory . https://web.archive.org/web/20100324204718/http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow-Your-Own/Veg-A-to-Z/Chicory,-endive-and-radicchio . dead . 24 March 2010 . The Royal Horticultural Society . 25 August 2011 . (Consult the several tabs)
10. Web site: Chicory (Cichorium intybus) perennial . Grow Your Own . 25 August 2011 .
11. Web site: Harvesting and Using Chicory . 2 . [GardenAction] . 25 August 2011 .
12. Web site: Chicory (Belgian Endive or Witloof Chicory) . Conant, Patricia . [The Epicurean Table] . 2006 . 25 August 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111007030732/http://www.epicureantable.com/ffarticles/chicory.htm . 7 October 2011 . dead .