To blanch means to briefly plunge food (especially vegetables) into boiling water, then quickly cool it in ice water to stop the cooking process. When you blanch green beans or broccoli, you dip them in boiling water for just a minute or two, then immediately transfer them to ice water. This preserves their bright color, makes them slightly tender, and helps them keep their nutrients when you freeze them.

Chefs and home cooks blanch vegetables before freezing them because it stops enzymes that would otherwise make the vegetables mushy and discolored in the freezer. You might also blanch tomatoes or peaches to make their skins easier to peel off.

The word also means to turn pale, usually from shock or fear. Someone might blanch when they hear frightening news, their face suddenly losing its normal color. Picture a character in a story who blanches when they realize they've made a terrible mistake: their skin goes white as the blood drains from their face.

Both meanings share the idea of something becoming paler or whiter, whether it's a person's face or the appearance of food during cooking.