[shokkyy]

The trouble with normal boil blanching is it does leach nutrition from the veg, and it's very difficult to time with any accuracy because putting the veg in the water immediately drops the temperature and interrupts the boil. Steam blanching is supposed to be much better in terms of nutrition lost, and it doesn't interrupt the boil so it's easier to time accurately. But does the fact that you're steaming instead of boiling affect the time you should blanch for, or is it much the same?

[Yorkie]

I'd have thought it would be the same time - but would have concerns about whether you'd got an effective blanch unless the veg was in a single layer and not touching any other veg.  Otherwise the steam doesn't reach all the parts of the veg in the time available.

[gnome33]

While talking of steaming I have recently discovered 5-5.5 minutes for a very nice soft boiled egg (with soldiers of course) is much quicker and easier then the traditional pan of boling water and much less trouble with cracking - try it.

[madcat]

I have for small quantities - one pack of french beans or something like that  - in the electric steamer.  It would be horribly slow (and expensive?) for larger quantities.  I blanch in water and cook from frozen in the steamer over the potatoes.

[shokkyy]

While talking of steaming I have recently discovered 5-5.5 minutes for a very nice soft boiled egg (with soldiers of course) is much quicker and easier then the traditional pan of boling water and much less trouble with cracking - try it.

That's an interesting idea, I never thought of trying that