How to Freeze and Store Green Beans
Don’t immediately need those fresh green beans you picked up from the farmer’s market? Here are a few storage methods for when it’s time to start preserving those crisp beans for the winter.
How to Freeze Fresh Green Beans
There are a few different processes to ensure prime preservation for your green beans from the farmer’s market. We’re breaking it down below on how to keep them ready to use throughout the year.
How to Freeze Green Beans
Here are the simple yet beneficial steps to freeze your beans correctly.
Step 1. Trim:
Grabbing a small bunch of green beans at a time, align the stem ends side by side and slice the tips off using a sharp knife. If you’d like, you can also cut the tail ends of the beans. If you notice some of them have a fiber that runs throughout, make sure that it is removed. For many dishes that contain green beans, you are asked to additionally cut them into one- to two-inch pieces before freezing.
Step 3. Prepare:
Pack all of your blanched green beans into a Glad® Freezer Zipper Quart Bag. Depending on size, you can use a quart or gallon bag. Make sure to shape each bag to compact the beans and press out as much air as you can. The Glad® Freezer Zipper Quart Bag has a wide, easy and secure seal to help keep your beans fresh until you use them.
Step 2. Blanch:
Boil one gallon of water per pound of green beans. At the same time, fill a bowl with ice water. Boil your beans a certain amount of time depending on size. Smaller beans usually need around two minutes, while larger ones could use three to four. Once they’ve boiled, plunge them into ice water to cool and then drain.
Step 4. Freeze:
For organizational purposes, label each bag with dates and amounts. Lay the bags flat in your freezer, but leave some space between the bags so air can move around them. When frozen solid, you can take the bags and place them closer together in the freezer.
Where to Store Green Beans
There are a few places to store your green beans for safe keeping. Besides freezing, you can store unwashed fresh bean pods in the refrigerator. Put your beans into a GladWare® Container. The containers have varying sizes depending on how many you want to store at once. They should stay good for around seven days.
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