Parboil

A process of cooking food in boiling water for only a short amount of time to retain the color, to help preserve nutrients and to firm foods, such as vegetables. It is also used to prepare vegetables for canning or freezing and to tenderize them for further cooking processes. A Parboil procedure involves placing small quantities of food into a large amount of rapidly boiling water for the amount of time specified in the recipe. Food is added in small quantities so that the boiling process is not disturbed or decreased. If the food is not to be cooked again or if it is not to be served immediately or if it is to be canned or frozen, then the food should be plunged into a cold water bath (shocked), after being removed from the boiling water in order to stop any further cooking action. However, if further cooking is to occur immediately thereafter to the food just boiled, a cold bath is not necessary. This process may also be referred to as parcooking or parblanching.