blanched

Blanched is the past participle of blanch, describing something that has been whitened, pale, or briefly scalded. The term comes from the French blanchir, meaning to whiten, which in turn derives from blanc, meaning white.

In cooking, blanching involves briefly submerging food in boiling water or steam and then transferring it to ice water to halt cooking. This technique helps preserve color and texture, loosens skins on tomatoes and almonds, and can reduce surface bacteria or bitterness. It is commonly used for vegetables such as beans, broccoli, and peppers, as well as for preparing nuts and fruits before further processing.

In botany and horticulture, blanching refers to the production or presentation of pale or white tissues by limiting light exposure or shading growing parts. Some crops are cultivated for blanched varieties, produced by covering or growing them under low light to reduce chlorophyll. Examples include Belgian endive and white asparagus. Blanching in plants can affect flavor, tenderness, and appearance.

In medicine and clinical practice, blanching describes temporary whitening of the skin when pressure is applied, due to vasoconstriction of superficial capillaries. It is used as a diagnostic sign in physical examination to distinguish vascular from pigmented lesions and to assess capillary refill and perfusion. The return of color after pressure is released indicates normal blood flow.