Do you need help freezing green beans? Whether your garden has produced more green beans than your family can handle, or you've gotten a great deal on green beans at the farmer's market, freezing green beans allows you to enjoy them all year long. Freezing green beans is simple, as long as you follow a few basic principles. Read on to learn how to freeze green beans step by step.
How To Prepare Vegetables : Blanch Green Beans
Th expert chef in this video demonstrates how to blanch green beans. The green beans are trimmed and sliced, then set aside. He brings a pot of salted water to the boil, and then places the green beans in the water for a few minutes. If you are freezing the green beans, you'll want to plunge them into a bowl of cold water after they are blanched, to stop the cooking.
Introduction
You can freeze green beans in less time than it takes to cook green beans for dinner. If you buy green beans in season when they are plentiful, not only will you likely save money, you'll be getting the freshest green beans.
Step 1: Prepare the Green Beans for Freezing
You want to make sure you select healthy young green beans without any bruises or damaged areas; avoid green beans whose seed pods have begun to bulge. Wash them carefully, trim off leaves and stems, and slice the green beans into serving size pieces.
Step 2: Blanch the Green Beans
To ensure that the green beans keep their quality while frozen, you need to blanch them before freezing.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Add the green beans.
- Boil for 2-4 minutes. Whole beans will take 4 minutes; thinly sliced frenched beans will only need 2.
- Drain the beans and immerse in cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Drain the beans when chilled.
Step 3: Freeze the Green Beans
The green beans should be packed in small portions so that they will freeze quickly. You can use either freezer bags or airtight containers. Get as much air out of whatever container you use as possible; vacuum sealing produces good results.
