Blanching Vegetables

Many vegetables, especially such as have a strong flavor, are made more delicate if they be cooked a few moments to draw out a little of the flavor, then drained, cooled in cold water, drained again and set to cook in a fresh supply of water. This process is called blanching. By this process rice may be cleaned more effectually than in any other way. The first boiling should not exceed five minutes, the vegetable should be set to cook in plenty of cold water, which should be brought quickly to the boiling point. Rice should be stirred with a fork to keep it from adhering to the bottom of the dish.

Blanching Sweetbreads

As soon as received set sweetbreads to soak in cold, running water, or if this be inconvenient, change the water often. Set over the fire in plenty of cold water, heat the water very gradually to the boiling point, then let simmer about twenty minutes for veal sweetbreads and from five to ten minutes for lambs' sweetbreads, drain, let stand in cold water until cold; remove unedible portions but keep the sweetbreads whole Sweetbreads are always blanched before preparing them by any of the recipes given in this book.