We look at the foods that you should never, ever put into a blender.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00We've all heard that you shouldn't put things like utensils and your own fingers into a blender,
00:05but the list of foods you shouldn't use with this handy kitchen tool is surprisingly long
00:09and not as well-known. Let's talk about the foods you shouldn't use your blender for.
00:13Whether you're trying to make a creamy roasted red pepper soup, a hearty pumpkin chowder,
00:17or a classic silky tomato bisque, pouring the contents of a hot saucepan into your trusty
00:21blender and hitting puree might seem like an okay thing to do. But in reality, putting hot liquids
00:26in a blender is actually one of the most dangerous mistakes you can make in a kitchen.
00:30Nutritionist Dal Penner told Eating Well,
00:32"...hot liquids give off steam, and that steam quickly creates pressure in a blender.
00:36Because of this, the blending process can cause the liquid to explode
00:39and potentially burn anyone nearby."
00:42Instead, if you need to process and smooth a super hot soup or sauce,
00:45Penner recommends using an immersion blender instead. If you don't have one,
00:48at least plan to blend safely. That means allowing the liquid to cool first and filling
00:52the blender no more than halfway. Also, be sure to remove the stopper, the middle portion of the
00:57blender's lid, so excess steam can escape while you process your soup. To avoid splatters,
01:01hold the stopperless lid down tightly with a clean kitchen towel while the blender is running,
01:05and keep your face out of the line of fire, just in case a spill should occur.
01:09Cauliflower is still having its moment, but when it comes to the way most people are eating
01:13cauliflower today, cauliflower mash, or cauliflower rice, a blender is definitely
01:17not the tool to use. The problem is that cauliflower is inherently soggy when you
01:21cook it. It simply retains too much water, whether you boil it, steam it, or even microwave it.
01:26The bottom line is that it's very easy to over-process cooked cauliflower when you
01:29add it to a blender, essentially turning it into a bland and flavorless soup. Nutritionist Jodi
01:34Grebel explained it this way to Eating Well,
01:36The way a blender chops makes it mushy rather than the desired consistency of cauliflower rice.
01:41So, what should you use? Either a food processor or a box grater will work well.
01:45Just cut raw cauliflower into large florets and grate or process as needed.
01:49If you're going for cauliflower mash, use an old-school potato masher on cooked cauliflower
01:53florets. It's fast, requires less cleanup, and provides just the right slightly chunky
01:57consistency — just like you find in regular mashed potatoes.
02:01Like all leafy greens, kale, arugula, spinach, Swiss chard, and collard greens are all ideal
02:06options for healthy, low-calorie smoothies. They're low in sugar, high in fiber,
02:10and packed with an alphabet's worth of vitamins, including abundant levels of A,
02:14C, and K in particular. Leafy greens are also good for your heart,
02:17your waistline, and even your brain, potentially helping to reduce cognitive decline as we get
02:22older. But as good as leafy greens are for you, and as great as they are in a smoothie,
02:26there's one cardinal rule everyone should follow. Never put warm or room-temperature
02:30leafy greens in your blender. Chef Andre Sickinger advised Reader's Digest,
02:34The motor can easily turn your dish brown. To keep colors vibrant, ice your greens for
02:38five minutes prior to adding to the blender. That brown color is a result of oxygen reacting
02:42with compounds within the fresh produce leaves. The older fruits or vegetables are, or the warmer
02:47they are, the more easily these reactions can occur. Adding a dash of lemon or lime juice or
02:51other acidic liquid can help to slow the discoloration. You can also chill leafy
02:55greens in the fridge or an ice bath before blending to help slow the reaction.
02:59If you don't have a kitchen aid, or just don't feel like breaking out all the attachments for
03:03your stand mixer, a blender might seem like a good alternative to make your baking dough.
03:07That motor spins, right? It can obviously mix dough. Wrong. According to Bob Vila Magazine,
03:12foods that already have a thick consistency will become even stickier in a blender.
03:15Even worse, dense foods tend to prevent the blades of the blender from spinning in an
03:19efficient manner, which makes the motor work harder, resulting in overheating.
03:23This can destroy not only your appliance's motor, but could potentially even trigger
03:26an electrical fire. The easiest way to mix dough doesn't even require an appliance.
03:30All you need is a bowl, a wooden spoon, and your hands. The wooden spoon is ideal for mixing
03:35because it's tough, and dough won't stick to it while you stir. As for kneading the dough,
03:39your hands will do a better job at stretching it and folding it over,
03:42creating flaky layers than your blender could ever hope to.
03:46From dried apricot muffins to sun-dried tomato pesto to dry plum coffee cake,
03:50there are countless ways dried fruits and vegetables can be used in cooking and baking.
03:53But no matter what you're preparing that contains dried fruits,
03:56there's one rule that holds true for all recipes. Don't put your dried fruits or
03:59veggies in the blender, or you'll absolutely regret it.
04:02Can you tell us about your flapjack, please?
04:04Started making it, had a breakdown. Bon appetit!
04:09If you have a super-powered high-end blender like a Vitamix,
04:11dried fruits might not be a problem. But for average, everyday blenders,
04:15dried fruits are a definite no-no. Bob Vila Magazine has warned that many dehydrated foods
04:19can damage your blender's blades. Even if that doesn't happen, they can still ruin your day.
04:24Foods like sun-dried tomatoes and raisins can turn into a sticky paste before you know it,
04:28leaving you cleaning your blender instead of enjoying your lunch. Still want to try it?
04:31Then at least be sure to soak whatever dried fruit you're using in water in order to help
04:35hydrate it, making those dried goods softer and easier for your blender to chop and process.
04:40Mashed potatoes are the epitome of comfort food. But if you're looking for airy mashed
04:44potatoes just like your grandma used to make, don't try to whip them in a blender.
04:47As the blade and motor on the blender whirl along, they'll quickly overwork your potatoes,
04:51turning them gummy and soft, or even worse, giving them the chalky, sticky texture of glue.
04:56It's the result of all those starches and carbs in the potato,
04:58which can quickly become agitated and unpleasant-tasting.
05:01If that weren't reason enough to steer clear of processing your taters in a blender,
05:04it turns out that it could be dangerous as well. Tough-to-process foods can cause the
05:08bearings in the blade assembly to seize up, and can stress a blender's motor.
05:11This can create a burning smell and may even cause the motor to overheat or burn out,
05:15triggering an electrical fire. For light, fluffy mashed potatoes,
05:19you need to either whip them by hand or use a stand or hand mixer. Both techniques are able
05:23to aerate the potato mixture more easily than a traditional blender,
05:26and you won't risk some serious damage to your home.
05:37Some homemade candies need to be pulled and stretched when you make them.
05:40The process is said to add tiny air bubbles to the sugary treats,
05:43helping to give them the light, chewy texture that many people find so addicting.
05:46But stretching candy is also hard work, and becomes tiring quickly. That's why a blender
05:51might seem like the perfect option to help you get the job done quickly, but that would
05:54also be a huge mistake. Bob Vila Magazine has warned that sticky foods like taffy can damage
05:59your blender, taxing the motor and leaving a sticky residue on the blender's blades that
06:03can be virtually impossible to get off. Since they're already so sharp to the touch,
06:07and difficult to clean under ordinary circumstances, cleaning blender blades
06:10after using them with a sticky candy can be a task you'd rather avoid in favor of pretty
06:14much anything else. And should you fail to get that stuck-on residue off completely,
06:18it could ruin future dishes you blend as well. The sweetness of the candy or the flavors you
06:22used when making it could seep into other foods you blend, giving them an odd and unwanted new
06:26flavor. Better to steer clear entirely and just do this one by hand.
06:31Few flavors are as essential to home cooking as black pepper. It's even been called the king
06:35of spices, as it heightens flavors and adds depth to any dish it touches. Many chefs will suggest
06:40always using freshly ground black peppercorns, as their flavor is more stronger than the pre-ground
06:44stuff.
06:44You see what I do that time with the pepper? You see what I do with the pepper?
06:47Yes, Senor Marco.
06:48The people, the people, they want the pepper, all right?
06:50If you don't have a pepper mill and want to get on the freshly ground pepper train,
06:53a blender might seem like the next best thing. And while you can technically grind black pepper
06:57or other spices in a blender, there are better tools for grinding. And those are affordable
07:01gadgets like a coffee grinder, a spice grinder, or even an old-school mortar and pestle.
07:06Bonus? They look really cool and make you feel like a wizard.
07:09See, here's the thing. The kids know that the only way to fly…
07:12Wizard pepper!
07:14Unbelievable.
07:15A blender, however, isn't on the list. Because of their height,
07:17blenders easily allow ground spice particles to float up into the air,
07:20creating a cloud of spice that can trigger a sneezing pit. They're also just not very good
07:24at the job, and will produce an uneven grind that means chunks of unground spices are going
07:28to make it into your food. As much as you might love pepper, you don't want to bite into a peppercorn.
07:34Crushed hard candies are a common ingredient in desserts such as stained glass cookies,
07:37fudge, and even brownies. Crushed candy can also be used as a garnish or topping on cakes,
07:42pudding, and ice cream. You can use it to add flavor to coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
07:46Some bartenders even recommend coating the rim of fancy sweet cocktails with crushed candy,
07:50especially around the holidays. But here's the thing. Similar to really large chunks of ice
07:55or ultra-frozen slabs of fruit, hard candy can quickly dull the blades on even the strongest
07:59blender. There's also a chance your blender may overheat, warming up the candy you're attempting
08:03to crush, or that a bit of unexpected moisture might sneak into your blender canister, in both
08:07cases creating an annoying sticky mess that can be virtually impossible to remove. If you do need to
08:12crush candy for some sort of kitchen project, you're better off using a food processor,
08:16or putting the candies in a few Ziploc bags and using a rolling pin.
08:19Whether you're making a garlic hummus or a massive batch of homemade garlic paste,
08:23garlic and blenders don't mix. It doesn't matter if you're chopping just a few cloves or several
08:27heads of garlic — honed and smelly compounds within the vegetables can leak out and latch
08:31onto the plastic parts of your blender. It's also worth noting that this applies to onions and hot
08:35peppers as well, and in some cases, these juices can permanently taint the smell of your blender
08:40and may leave residual flavor as well. Fortunately, there's a workaround, and nutritionist Dal Penner
08:45gave this pro tip to eating well. Cooking these foods before blending will lessen the punch left
08:49behind, as will blending them in small amounts along with other foods, not by themselves.
08:53If it's too late and your blender is already primed to scare off vampires with its plastic
08:57meat-scarlet scent, take heart. There are a few tricks that might help to make the scent go away.
09:02You can try pouring baking soda into the bottom of your blender and then filling it halfway with
09:05vinegar, topping it off with hot water, and letting it set for several hours. If that doesn't work,
09:10you can also try partially filling your blender with warm water, adding a drop of dish soap plus
09:14a couple of fresh lemon wedges, and then blending everything together for a couple minutes.
09:18Any unwanted leftover smell should hopefully disappear.