Blanching Basics

• Blanching means to cook something in boiling water quickly. Commonly used to stop enzymatic activity in vegetables in preparation for freezing, the simple process is also useful in helping to quickly remove the skin from shallots, onions and garlic. After blanching any fruit or vegetable, immediately remove the item from the pot using a strainer and submerge it in ice-cold water for the same amount of time it was blanched, or until it is cool.

Peeling Shallots

• To quickly peel a number of shallots, blanching is essential. Shallots are particularly capable of creating tears in your eyes when cutting and working with them, so this simple step helps to prevent that by limiting your exposure. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add shallots for up to 30 seconds, followed by an ice bath to cool them down quickly. Rub the shallots between your fingers to remove their skin.

Blanching Tips

• Because the blanching time for shallots is so short, it is important to prepare an ice bath before adding the shallots to the boiling water. Use a large bowl or your clean kitchen sink and fill it halfway with ice and the remainder with cold water. Use a timer to accurately gauge the time and prevent overcooking, which results in mushy shallots. The blanching time needed to easily remove the shallot skin varies based on shallot variety; watch for the skins curling and breaking, along with the timer, to indicate that your blanching time is adequate.

Working With Shallots

• Shallots lose their flavor quickly when exposed to air after cutting; for this reason, always peel and prepare shallots directly before using or cooking. Because of their close flavor to onions, shallots are used as an equal exchange for onions in recipes. Use shallots for making sauces where their mild flavor will particularly shine. Shallots can be pickled, caramelized and made into a savory jam. To save shallots for later, freeze them diced, whole or sliced.