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

First, the skin is blanched to tighten and set its shape. —Condé Nast, Bon Appétit, 20 Mar. 2024

Yield: 4 servings 1 (3-pound) whole chicken 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley 1 bulb of garlic 1 1/2 ounces blanched hazelnuts 1. —Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register, 26 Feb. 2024

Note: To blanch the mustard seeds, place them in a small fine-mesh strainer. —Bonnie S. Benwick, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024

Have a look at her full primer on how to blanch and freeze vegetables. —Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024

The Live Local Act, as it was called, was a top priority for the Senate president, and no one blanched at its $711 million price tag. —Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2024

This process happened quickly and directly, and high-resolution images showed that the blanching is superimposed on the camouflage pattern. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 28 June 2023

Fresh chives and dill liven up the egg mixture, and blanched asparagus tips add spring color. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2024

Noreen Wasti The fruit, which hails from Oman but is also associated with Iran, is blanched in salty brine before being sun dried, so its flesh and peel turn a deep black. —Katy Gillett, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Jan. 2024

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