Can vegetables be blanched by steaming instead of by heating in boiling water?
Heating in steam is the recommended blanching method for a few vegetables (grated summer squash and sprouts). For broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and winter squash, both steaming and boiling are satisfactory methods. Steam blanching takes about 1 and 1/2 times longer than water blanching. Refer to GH 1503, “Freezing Vegetables,” for specific times.
