[Floody]

We all know that blanching requires boiling for a period of time and then plunging whatever it is into ice water.  I've recently made my blanching debut 

I've noticed that after a couple of batches have been plunged, the ice water is distinctly warm.  We only have four quite small ice cube trays.  I was wondering, when people blanch, from where or how do they get their never ending supply of ice water?

It just seems impossible when blanching a large amount of stuff.  Do people make do with cold tap water?

Floody

[mjpalin]

I always use cold tap water - do not have the facility to make enough ice for the amount we blanch!

[mumofstig]

cold tap water here as well  leave the tap to run 'til the water is really cold.

[snowdrops]

If I know in advance I'm going to be blanching I put my ice packs in the freezer the night before or freeze plastic tubs/ bottles of water to add to the cold water I put in the sink

[AnneB]

Cold water here too.  I try to avoid making life too complicated.  It works fine.

[Sadgit]

same here, cold tap water.. blanched loads tonight this way

[brianc]

Buy bags of ice from supermarket , cost a pound can do a lot of blanching . put surplus back in freezer.

[brianc]

Forgot to tell you I half fill a pyrex bowl with cold tap water . then from hot water tip your produce into it for
ten seconds to take most of the heat away then plunge into another bowl half filled with cold water and a
reasonable amount of ice cubes for about one minute then straight into freezer bags and into freezer straight
away. The beans if young when picked cook up without going leathery.
Hope this helps .

[Floody]

brian, that's exactly the sort of complicated rigmarole I'm trying to get away from when blanching if cold water from the tap will suffice! 

So you don't dry your beans after blanching then...don't they freeze in one giant lump? 

[mumofstig]

I spin mine in a salad spinner and then freeze in 'dinner size' portions.

[mjpalin]

I spin mine in a salad spinner and then freeze in 'dinner size' portions.

Now that does sound like it's worth a try, might reduce the kitchen roll bill at this time of year, as I generally pat dry between two sheets....guess Mike will be going in the loft tomorrow to find the spinner!

[brianc]

Hello Floody.
                  Sorry I should have mentioned that yes I do dry my beans or whatever, I know it sounds
complicated but really it does not take long , I bag up enough beans to feed two people per bag.



















i

[AnneB]

I strain into a colander, run cold tap water through it to get rid of the high temperature, then plunge the colander with contents into a bowl of cold water.    After a few minutes I drain the beans, then open freeze on a foil covered tray.   When frozen, pop into bags.   You can then easily remove as many beans as you want, they won't be stuck together.    No ice, and convenient at the cooking end.   You use less freezer bags (but larger ones)  this way too.