Kid Tip: Blanched over Raw Veggies Work Better

Today's Tip Sponsored by Melanie Potock &:

As a feeding therapist, I know parents want their kids to eat their veggies.  Here’s a tip: Try blanching vegetables, then pat them dry and bring to room temperature or chill slightly.  The extra moisture in a carrot stick from blanching will be easier for your young child to chew and swallow, but the veggie still has a lovely crunch and is easy to pick up and dip!  Works great for any veggie…be sure to cut into bite size portions for those kids under the age of three.

Here is how to blanch vegetables, using asparagus, plus a recipe.  The blanching process is similar for any type of vegetable, depending upon the thickness and courseness of the vegetable.

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Comments

[Melanie]

Wondering if you could provide an idea of the blanching process specifically how long to have the vegetables in boiling water... does it depend on the veggie?

[Elisabeth Veltman, The Tender Foodie]

HI Melanie! Great question! I added a link to this tip, thank you.

Blanching is usually 30 seconds to 3 minutes in already boiling water, depending upon your taste and the thickness of the vegetable. Here is a quick explanation using asparagus that will work for any veggie:

Fill a large bowl with ice water (including chunks of ice). Set it near the stove. Bring a large pot of water to boil and place the asparagus into the water for 1-3 minutes - depending upon the thickness of the stalks. Remove the stalks with a slotted spoon and plunge them whole-heartedly into the ice water. This will preserve the beautiful green color and keep them nice and crisp. Keep the veggies in the ice water for as long as they have been boiled. If you are in a time crunch, you can run cold water for the veggies for a minute or so to cool them down. this works a little less well than the ice bath, but it works!

Here is a recipe for blanched asparagus with a Dijon mustard sauce. This is a rather adult marinade, but you can toss in Italian dressing (or Ranch as my nieces and nephews do, if htey can have dairy), or simply serve it plain for your little ones.: http://www.tenderfoodie.com/blog/2011/4/23/recipe-blanched-asparagus-with-lemon-dijon-vinaigrette.html