blanch1

[blanch, blahnch] /blæntʃ, blɑntʃ/
verb (used with object)
1.
to whiten by removing color; bleach:
Workers were blanching linen in the sun.
2.
Cookery.
  1. to scald briefly and then drain, as peaches or almonds to facilitate removal of skins, or as rice or macaroni to separate the grains or strands.
  2. to scald or parboil (meat or vegetables) so as to whiten, remove the odor, prepare for cooking by other means, etc.
3.
Horticulture. (of the stems or leaves of plants, as celery or lettuce) to whiten or prevent from becoming green by excluding light.
4.
Metallurgy.
  1. to give a white luster to (metals), as by means of acids.
  2. to coat (sheet metal) with tin.
5.
to make pale, as with sickness or fear:
The long illness had blanched her cheeks of their natural color.
verb (used without object)
6.
to become white; turn pale:
The very thought of going made him blanch.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English bla(u)nchen < Anglo-French, Middle French blanchir to whiten, derivative of blanc, blanche white; see blank
Related forms
blancher, noun
Synonyms
1. See whiten.

blanch2

[blanch, blahnch] /blæntʃ, blɑntʃ/
verb (used with object)
1.
to force back or to one side; head off, as a deer or other quarry.
Origin
1565-75; variant of blench1
Examples from the web for blanch
  • blanch for two minutes, and transfer to the ice water.
  • Other governments blanch at bribing people to do something that is already in their interest.
  • Covered center leaves will blanch to yellow or white.
  • blanch for three minutes, then transfer to a bowl of ice water and drain.
  • No doubt the coffee snobs will blanch at the prospect.
  • blanch for two minutes and transfer to a bowl of ice water.
  • Blot tofu dry, and if you blanch a vegetable first, make sure to drain and dry on towels.
  • blanch them for a minute before spreading them on a tray, the same way you freeze fruit.
  • To blanch the vegetables, bring medium saucepan of salted water to boil.
  • blanch for four minutes and transfer to the ice water with a slotted spoon or skimmer.
British Dictionary definitions for blanch

blanch

/blɑːntʃ/
verb (mainly transitive)
1.
(also intransitive) to remove colour from, or (of colour) to be removed; whiten; fade: the sun blanched the carpet, over the years the painting blanched
2.
(usually intransitive) to become or cause to become pale, as with sickness or fear
3.
to plunge tomatoes, nuts, etc, into boiling water to loosen the skin
4.
to plunge (meat, green vegetables, etc) in boiling water or bring to the boil in water in order to whiten, preserve the natural colour, or reduce or remove a bitter or salty taste
5.
to cause (celery, chicory, etc) to grow free of chlorophyll by the exclusion of sunlight
6.
(metallurgy) to whiten (a metal), usually by treating it with an acid or by coating it with tin
7.
(transitive) usually foll by over. to attempt to conceal something
Word Origin
C14: from Old French blanchir from blanc white; see blank
Word Origin and History for blanch
v.

"to make white, turn pale," c.1400, from Old French blanchir "to whiten, wash," from blanc "white" (11c.; see blank (adj.)). Originally "to remove the hull of (almonds, etc.) by soaking." Intransitive sense of "to turn white" is from 1768. Related: Blanched; blanching.

"to start back, turn aside," 1570s, variant of blench. Related: Blanched; blanching.