A preliminary cooking method that consists of two basic procedures:

Procedure One
Pace food  to be blanched in a large amount of cold water ( about 10 parts water to one part food).  Bring to a boil, uncovered for a short time.  Cool the food quickly by placing it in cold water or by forced cold air running over it to stop the cooking process.

This method is used for certain meats and bones as the process and leech out excess blood and in the case of salt pork and ham, excess salts.

Procedure Two
The second method is to place the a small amount of food in a large amount of boiling water.  the water is allowed to return to a boil, uncovered for a short time and then the cooking process is quickly stop through the use of cold water or forces cold air. This method is mostly used for vegetables as it closes the pores and helps to retain color.

Fish and vegetables and potatoes are also blanched in hot oil, with the oil at about 275°F.

In most cases it is preferable to use air cooling when possible as the use of cold water leeches flavor and nutrients from the product.