blanch

verb

ˈblanch 

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

Synonyms

• bleach
• blench
• decolorize
• dull
• fade
• pale
• snow
• wash out
• whiten

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 on the Web

When the mural was installed in April, fair officials blanched. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023

Once peaches become very ripe, the skin sometimes releases easily without needing to blanch them, and they can be peeled the same way. —Rishon Hanners, Southern Living, 30 June 2023

Freeze whole ears of blanched corn After blanching, make sure the cooled ears of corn are completely free of water droplets. —Patricia S York, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2023

Onions and cumin seeds are gently sautéed before pinches of ground spices, a ladle of a curry sauce from a base made that morning, several large shrimp, blanched spinach and a splash of cream are added. —Yewande Komolafe, New York Times, 21 July 2023

Lawyer John Eastman, blanched by light, looks haunted, a specter. —Karen Heller, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023

The City Council blanched at the cost, neighbors and park advocates opposed the incursion into Dean Park and preservationists worried that all the new building would overwhelm the Kalita. —Mark Lamster, Dallas News, 15 Aug. 2023

Here's how to blanch your corn and prepare it for the freezer. —Patricia S York, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2023

They will first be heated to 70 degrees, then briefly blanched at 90 degrees before being rapidly frozen. —Stephen Castle, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English blaunchen, blanchen "to make white, whitewash, whiten (almonds) by parboiling them to remove the skins," borrowed from Anglo-French blanchir, blauncher "to turn white, whiten" (also continental Old French blanchir), derivative of blanc "white" — more at blank entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

blanch

verb

ˈblanch 

1

a

: to take the color out of : bleach

b

: to scald in order to remove the skin from or whiten

blanch almonds

2

: to become white or pale

blancher noun