Freezing Green Beans

Vegetable preservation by freezing is a common practice by which we can extend their supply for several months or even years. Some of the ideal vegetables for freezing include fresh peas, green beans, shallot bulbs, beets and asparagus. Among these, green beans are one of the most versatile vegetables, which can be cooked either in immature green state or in mature shelled state. In fact, you can use them for cooking a wide variety of delicious food recipes. Read more on freezing vegetables.

Besides the good taste of green beans, they are enriched with healthy nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, iron, calcium and fiber. Green beans are the second most popularly grown garden vegetables next to tomatoes. You can grow green beans easily in your vegetable garden. The excess harvest can be canned or frozen and stored for using during winters. Nevertheless, freezing green beans should be done properly, so they you can retain their nutritional value and taste. Read more on canning green beans.

Steps for Freezing Green Beans

As mentioned earlier, green beans are ideal vegetables for preservation. But, the problem is how to go about freezing green beans without sacrificing their taste. Let's discuss about the requirements and the step-by-step instructions on how to freeze green beans.

Required Supplies
For freezing green beans, you should have the following ingredients and supplies:

• Fresh green beans
• Thick freezer bags (zipper type)
• Boiling water (about 2 liter)
• Utility knife (for cutting beans)
• Two large-sized saucepans (fill one with cold water)

Instructions for Freezing Green Beans
Step # 1
First of all, pick garden fresh green beans and wash them thoroughly under running water. If you are purchasing green beans from the market, make sure you buy the fresh and unripe green ones.

Step # 2
The next step for freezing fresh green beans is to trim both the ends of the beans. Following this, you can prepare the green beans for freezing by cutting them into pieces, usually about one inch long.

Step # 3
Once you are done with cutting the fresh green beans, get the saucepans ready, one with boiling water and another with cold water. You can add ice cubes to the saucepan with cold water in order to ensure fast cooling.

Step # 4
The fourth step is blanching green beans for freezing, which refers to heat treatment for a few minutes. Blanching helps in deactivating the enzymes that are responsible for changing the color, flavor and taste of green beans over a period of time. Add the cut green beans in the saucepan containing boil water and cover with a lid. Continue boiling the green beans at a high temperature for about 3 minutes.

Step # 5
After blanching the green beans for about 3 minutes, transfer them immediately in the saucepan that contains cold water and ice cubes. Allow the beans to stand in ice-cold water for about 3 minutes. Drain the cold water by using a strainer.

Step # 6
The last step for freezing green beans is adding the treated beans in heavy-duty zipper bags. For this purpose, you can spoon transfer the green beans into the freezer bags. Remove air and seal the bags prior to storing them in the refrigerator. Read more on freezing fresh green beans.

Well, this was a brief information about freezing green beans. With this tips and a little effort from your side, I hope you can freeze fresh green beans without any difficulties. So, next summer, pick garden fresh green beans and preserve them for enjoying fresh green bean recipes during winter. You can store frozen green beans in a refrigerator at 0° F for about 12 months.