User:Ldawidoff/sandbox

Draft of blanching USES

Uses
Blanching is a process used in the kitchen as well as used as a first-step process for certain fruits and vegetables. In both cases, it’s main purpose is to inactivate enzymes that cause browning as well as textural changes. Enzymes that cause deterioration in fruits and vegetables include lipoxygenase, polyphenoloxidase, polygalacturonase, and chlorophyllase. The heat-resistant enzymes catalase and peroxidase are used to determine blanching success. These enzymes are attributed to the loss of flavor, color, texture and nutritional qualities during product storage. [6] Moreover, due to the heat treatment, intercellular gases are removed which results in color retention.[7] This can be credited towards the change in the wavelength of reflected light. Food is also blanched to soften vegetable tissues in order to facilitate packaging. During the process, surface contaminants are removed with certain types of blanching methods such as water blanching.

Other purposes of blanching include inactivation of enzymes, enhancing drying rate and product quality, expelling air inside plant tissues, reduction browning reactions, decreasing microbial load, peeling of products, removing pesticide and toxic residues, increasing extraction of bioactive compounds, surface cleaning, removing damaged seeds or foreign materials, killing parasites and its eggs, reducing oil uptake.

There are different technologies used for blanching. Traditionally, blanching is done using either a water bath or saturated steam. In both methods, the food is heated for a period of time and then is immediately introduced to either cold water or cold air in order to quickly stop the heating process. Water blanchers can differ in design, but they all involve water at temperatures ranging from 70℃ to 100℃. The advantages of hot water blanchers are that there is lower capital cost, more uniform heating, and it uses less floor space (textbook). Two limitations of water blanching is that it requires longer processing times and allows for increased loss of nutrients to the water.

A typical simple steam blancher consists of a conveyer that moves food through the steam (textbook). The hot steam introduces is approximately 100℃ (blanching of foods). Steam blanching is usually used for smaller products with greater surface area to volume ratio. Advantages of steam blanchers include a smaller loss of water soluble nutrients (textbook) and it is more energy-efficient (blanching of foods). Limitations of steam blanching include uneven blanching if food is too large, the equipment is more expensive to maintain and is larger (textbook).

There are also a number of new blanching methods worth noting. They include microwave blanching, ohmic blanching, and high pressure blanching.

Blanching plays a factor in hurdle technology. Blanching, when used in combination with other food processes, can create safer products than by just using one technique. Blanching is used along with removing oxygen, using effective packaging, hermetic sealing, heating, and cooling (Effect of Hurdle Technology in Food Preservation: A Review)

Article Evaluation

The article on "Blanching (cooking)" gives a nice overview of the basic reasons for blanching foods including enzyme inactivation in peas and other vegetables as well as color retention and bacterial inactivation used as a first-step in processing. It is poorly organized and is missing any complex and information. The sources seem reliable for the most part, and the article is neutral. There seem to be a few facts that do not have citations directly following them, however. The article is a part of the WikiProject Food and drink and it has been rated as Stub-Class for quality and Mid-importance in terms of importance to the project. It definitely needs work. The first thing that I would add is a better table of contents as well as information on the different types of blanching (steam vs water bath) as well as noting the equipment used.

The edit below seems to be under the section "Uses" not "equipment." Create a new section, or move the sentence to an appropriate section.

Equipment
There are two main blanching techniques including steam blanching and water-submersion blanching.