A veggie prep step I always brushed off actually works

I used to think dipping cooked veggies in cold water was just for fancy restaurants. Then my buddy's snap peas stayed super crisp in a salad (I was shocked, honestly). He said the quick cool down stops them from getting mushy. Now I give my steamed carrots and broccoli a quick ice bath every time.

4 comments

4 Comments

viola6771mo ago

Feel your pain on that one, @angela587. I left broccoli in too long once and it tasted like wet paper. Now I set a timer for 20 seconds max for things like carrots or snap peas. It makes a huge difference in keeping that crisp bite. What other veggies have you tried this with?

west.grace1mo ago

My grandma always used a pinch of salt in the ice water. She said it pulls out extra moisture so veggies don't get soggy. I tried it with asparagus and it stayed crisp for days in the fridge. The salt thing also seasons them a bit, which is a bonus. Now I do it for all my steamed veggies, not just the usual ones.

gibson.avery27d ago

My mom does that with green beans too.

angela5871mo ago

Whoa that's a legit tip I need to try. So how long do you leave them in the ice bath? I tried something like that once but I left my green beans in way too long and they got weird and waterlogged. Is it literally just a quick dunk and then out?