Freezing Fresh Green Beans

Green beans, also known as French beans or strung beans, are one of the most commonly consumed vegetables. Besides their good taste, beans are known for their high nutritional value. They are a rich source of iron, vitamin A, C, riboflavin, thiamin, proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, copper, phosphorous, manganese and dietary fibers. You can make a wide variety of tasty dishes using fresh green beans. Since most vegetables are perishable, you need to preserve them using proper methods. Green beans can be preserved easily so that you can enjoy their great flavor and nutritional value throughout the year. You can preserve fresh beans by freezing or canning.

How to Freeze Fresh Green Beans

Freezing is the easiest and less time-consuming way to preserve the fresh summer green beans for a longer time. A selection of good beans is very important during the freezing process. If you are picking the beans from your garden, then you should pick fresh, smooth, crisp and fully-grown beans. The inner beans should be small and tender. Avoid choosing tough, lumpy or stringy beans. Bulges and lumps indicate that the beans are over-ripe. When purchasing the beans from a market, select smooth and bright beans. Avoid choosing the beans that are limp and wilted, yellowed and pale, or blemished and wrinkled.

To preserve the freshness and quality of green beans, they should be blanched before freezing. Fresh vegetables usually consist of certain enzymes and bacteria, which can change the color, texture and flavor of vegetables and destroy the nutrients, even after freezing. During blanching process, these enzymes as well as bacteria and dirt are removed. During the blanching process, the beans are first immersed in boiling water and then transferred to cold water in order to cool and stop the cooking process. Blanching should be done enough to prevent the action of enzymes and kill the bacteria. The beans should be cooled, or they will continue to cook and become soft. The correct boiling time for beans is about 3 to 3 ½ minutes and cooling time is the same. One gallon of water is required to blanch one pound of beans.

Here are some important steps in the freezing process:

• Remove the stem ends of the beans. Remove the strings if any. Then cut the beans into pieces of your choice.
• Keep the green beans in a big strainer or colander and rinse thoroughly in cold or lukewarm water.
• Bring the water to a full rolling boil in a large stockpot. Add green beans to boiling water, taking care that beans are completely immersed. Cover the pot and start the timer as soon as beans are immersed. Keep the water boiling for about 3 to 3 ½ minutes.
• Take out the beans from the boiling water and immediately keep them in a large pot containing ice water. Cool them for about 3 to 3 ½ minutes.
• When the beans are completely cooled, drain them in a big strainer.
• Place cooled beans into freezer bags. Press out the air from the bags and seal the bags tightly. Store these bags in the freezer.

Only heavy-duty plastic bags that are particularly made for the freezer storage should be used. Frozen green beans should be used within 12 months of packing.