blanch

verb \ ˈblanch \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Examples: blanch in a Sentence

Definition of blanch

blanched; blanching; blanches

transitive verb

: to take the color out of

Age had blanched his hair.

: such as

a cooking : to scald or parboil in water or steam in order to remove the skin from, whiten, or stop enzymatic action in (such as food for freezing)

blanch the asparagus in salted boiling water

b : to bleach by excluding light

blanch the leaves of a plant

c : to make ashen or pale

fear blanches the cheek

intransitive verb

: to become white or pale (as from shock or fear)

His face blanched with horror.

—often used figuratively to describe a reaction of shock or dismay that makes someone unwilling or reluctant to proceed

Civilians also saw benefits to the system but blanched when talk then included references to $300-plus user fees.
—Dan Fales

… the managers of the companies blanched at the expenditures necessary to retool factories.
—Charles C. Mann

—

blancher

noun

See blanch defined for English-language learners

See blanch defined for kids

Examples of blanch in a Sentence

Blanch the potatoes before slicing them.
a cup of blanched almonds
She blanched and remained silent when the store owner accused her of taking the money.

Recent Examples of blanch from the Web

Or, at the very least, blanch the vegetables in the same pot as your pasta or grains.

— sarah jampel, Bon Appetit, "14 Ways to Make Fewer Dirty Dishes (Because Washing Them Sucks, OBVS)," 19 Mar. 2018
But even its avowedly socialist leaders blanch at increases to tax for anyone bar the rich.

— The Economist, "Britain’s long-standing opposition to tax-rises is slowly softening," 25 Jan. 2018
Note: To blanch the green beans, boil a pot of water over high heat.

— bonnie s. benwick, charlotteobserver, "You don’t need romaine lettuce to make a great chopped salad | Charlotte Observer," 1 May 2018
Six perfectly blanched shrimp lined a schooner for a classic shrimp cocktail, and shrimp made a strong and indulgent showing with seafood stuffing fried to a mahogany crunch.

— mike sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "Review: McAdoo’s Seafood rides a strong wave in New Braunfels," 10 May 2018
After soaking, blanch the buds to destroy additional microbes in boiling water.

— noelle carter, latimes.com, "Happy 4/20! Celebrate with homemade canna-butter," 20 Apr. 2018
If using fresh beans, blanch them in boiling water for one minute, then rinse and dry.

— dana mcmahan, The Courier-Journal, "Mayan Cafe's lima beans have a cult following. Now you can make them yourself," 27 Feb. 2018
Think about the difference between the two as almonds that are blanched versus unbalanced.

— stephanie eckelkamp, Good Housekeeping, "What You Need To Know About Tiger Nuts—Plus 9 Ways To Eat (And Drink) Them," 17 Mar. 2017
Made from blanched, ground almonds, almond flour provides a higher protein alternative to other grain-free flours.

— jaclyn london, ms, rd, Good Housekeeping, "Why You Should Go Nuts About Almonds," 3 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blanch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.