AMSA Food Safety & Science Certification Practice Test 2025 - Free Food Safety Practice Questions and Study Guide

Blanching is a process specifically used to prepare fruits and vegetables by briefly immersing them in boiling water or exposing them to steam, followed by rapid cooling in ice water. This technique serves to inactivate enzymes that can cause loss of flavor, color, and texture. By scalding the food, blanching effectively preserves the quality and nutritional value of the produce while also making it easier to peel or prepare for further cooking or freezing. The rapid cooling step is crucial as it stops the cooking process immediately, allowing the food to retain its vibrant color and crisp texture.

In contrast, boiling refers to cooking food in water at high temperatures, but it does not prioritize enzyme inactivation for preservation as blanching does. Searing typically involves quickly cooking the surface of meat at high temperatures to create a brown crust, which is more about flavor development than enzyme inactivation. Steaming, while similar in method to blanching, focuses on cooking food using steam and may not always involve the same quick transition to a cooling stage aimed specifically at stopping enzyme action. Thus, blanching is the most accurate term for the process described in the question.