Blanching (also spelled blenching) is a cooking term that describes a process of food preparation wherein the food substance, usually a vegetable or fruit, is plunged into boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval, and finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water (shocked) to halt the cooking process. When almonds or pistachios are blanched, the skin of the nut (botanically the seed coat surrounding the embryo) becomes softened by blanching and is later removed… (More on Blanching)