When broccoli is boiled, there is a small window of time in which it can keep its color and crunch. If you go over this time limit, you'll have a mushy, greyish vegetable.

If you prefer more crispness and color, boil your broccoli for just the right amount of time and blanch it when it's done cooking.

Boil broccoli for two to three minutes until it turns vibrant green and is on the cusp of tenderness, then immediately transfer it to an ice bath to help the color stay bright.

When its hue has brightened a bit from its boiled state, remove it from the ice water and dry it gently with a kitchen towel or a paper towel.