Does blanching cause loss of mass/weight in the vegetable?
Let's say I am water-blanching 100g of green beans. After the blanching process will the resulting weight be less than 100g?
I aim to dehydrate the blanched 100 g of green beans. Will dehydrating 100g of blanched beans and 100g of unbalanced beans result in the same dried mass?
Best Answer
The weight is more likely to increase than decrease when blanching as some water or (condensed steam if you do it by steaming) will stay on the surface. With something like broccoli that has a lot of surface area that could be quite a lot. With beans less, unless you cut them up and immerse them so the water gets inside.
The dehydrated mass should be the same though. You're aiming to get the water content down to the same level. If you start the dehydrating process with extra water, it will take longer to reach the same point.
You may be concerned about the loss of things that dissolve in the blanching water, and thus losing weight that way. I really don't think you need to be. Most vegetables (including beans) are high in water to start with, and most of what's left is insoluble. This nutrition information table has fat+protein+carbs adding up to about 10%. Of that only the sugar (3.6% of the total weight) is soluble. But (i) blanching is brief and (ii) most of the sugar is trapped in the plant's cells so it won't dissolve out easily until cooked to mush.
Pictures about "Does blanching cause loss of mass/weight in the vegetable?"
How does blanching affect food?
Blanching stops enzyme actions which otherwise cause loss of flavor, color and texture. In addition, blanching removes some surface dirt and microorganisms, brightens color and helps slow vitamin losses. It also wilts greens and softens some vegetables (broccoli, asparagus) and makes them easier to pack.What happens during blanching?
Blanching. Blanching (scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short time) is a must for almost all vegetables to be frozen. It stops enzyme actions which can cause loss of flavor, color and texture. Blanching cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color and helps retard loss of vitamins.What are the disadvantages of blanching?
Drawbacks to the blanching process can include leaching of water-soluble and heat sensitive nutrients and the production of effluent.What are the two objectives of blanching?
The objective of blanching as a pretreatment of vegetables for canning is the removal of tissue gases; the shrinking of the material so that adequate fills can be contained in the can; and the heating of the material prior to filling so that a vacuum will be obtained after heat processing and boiling.HOW TO BLANCH VEGETABLES
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Andrea Piacquadio, Any Lane, Andrea Piacquadio, Karolina Grabowska