My old head chef insisted on blanching green beans in salt water, not oil

He worked at a place in Charleston for twenty years and swore it kept them bright and crisp. I tried it on a busy Friday service and they turned out perfect, with a better bite than the oil method. Anyone else have a weird old school trick that actually works?

3 comments

3 Comments

angela_wilson782mo agoMost Upvoted

Ugh, I have to totally disagree on this one. The oil blanch is a classic for a reason. It gives the beans a silky texture and a richer flavor that salt water just can't touch. Salt water can make them too salty and it doesn't seal in the color or nutrients as well in my experience. I tried the salt water thing once and the beans tasted like the ocean and went dull fast. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways, and for green beans, that's a quick dip in oil.

jamesblack2mo agoMost Upvoted

My grandma's oil blanch uses duck fat.

dixon.anthony15d ago

Admit I was in the salt water camp for years, but you got me rethinking everything with that texture point. Guess grandma really did know what she was doing.