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Southwestern Minnesota | I freeze fresh green beans every year. I snap the ends off, cut off any bad spots and wash them. I cut some into pieces (for use in soups and hotdishes) and some I just leave whole. I bring a pot of water to a boil and then put in about 6 cups of beans. Cover, return to boil and blanch for about 2 1/2 minutes. You don't need to cook them long, just stop the growing process. (I do small batches at a time. If you do more than 6 cups, then you will probably need to cook them longer, as it takes longer for the water to come back to a boil.) Then put them in ice cold water to chill. When they are cold throughout, then drain well in a sieve. And then package them up into a good quality freezer bag (like Ziploc or Hefty). Try to get as much air out of the bag as you can. Put in the freezer. I put them in a bigger (plastic) container in the freezer after they're frozen for two reasons- one to keep them organized and another to prevent freezer burn. When you reheat them, put them in boiling water and then only cook for 3-4 minutes. Overcooking while blanching or cooking will make them pretty soggy. If I am putting them in soup, I add them at the end for only 5 minutes or so. | |
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Process for freezing green beans
