Blanching vegetables to preserve nutrients and flavor

Though raw vegetables and fruits are most nutritious, they quickly lose the vitamins starting from the moment of harvest. If you need to keep them for several days or if you need to cook them, use blanching: it naturally stops the enzymes in vegetables from destroying vitamins and other nutrients. Blanching is an easy cooking technique preserving vegetables' colors and phytonutrients but not everybody knows what are the *two* steps necessary for the best results. Here's what to do. Step one. In a large pot, bring water to a boil, add vegetables, and boil for 3 minutes. Step two. Immediately after, take them off quickly and put into a large bowl with ice water; let cool, then drain. Use the blanched vegetables for salads, dips, or just snacks.