Runner Beans

[donedigging]

I'm sorry, if this has been covered before but I am off on holiday for two weeks soon and my daughter has agreed to move back home to "house-sit" the cats and the ever growing veg patch.
The question is, can she pick the runners while I'm away and freeze them whole without blanching first? (As blanching is out of the question for her ) Or will this ruin them?

[Jane]

I have only ever frozen runner beans after slicing and blanching. I have never seen any information about freezing whole or not blanching. Why don't you try a small batch before you go away?

[Victoria]

Chap on my allotment swears that the no blanching method is better but haven't tried it myself. Good luck!!!!!!!!!

[MrsL]

I would blanch if you want to freeze them. The alternative is to wrap them in damp teatowels and leave in a cold fridge until you get back - keep the teatowles damp - they should be fine for you to deal with.
Hope this helps.

[peacocks]

A friend of mine asked her husband to pick the runners whilst she was away looking after her mother. He picked them and dumped them in the freezer.. Once they are defrosted they will be very difficult to string and slice. You can get away without blanching if the beans will be used fairly soon but definitely recommend preparation first.

[donedigging]

Thank you Jane, Victoria, MrsL and peacocks for your replies, but problem solved, managed to get the day off work
Even had time to educate daughter how to change hose-pipes over. ( she doesn't take after her mother )

[glallotments]

We never blanch but do prepare the beans by stringing and slicing first. They still taste great!

[Elaine]

I have tried both blanching and not blanching before freezing Runner Beans, having "topped and tailed", then sliced them into 1" pieces. Like glallotments, I haven't noticed any difference. I found a bag which had wedged itself in a corner and was almost a year old, steamed them from frozen and they were fine!

There is a huge carrier bag waiting to be attended to at the moment and the plants are producing faster than I can eat/give away/freeze. I'm amazed at how fast the beans grow and convinced they grow over-night, as I picked shed loads on Wednesday night and left only little skinny things. Thursday afternoon, the plants were festooned with huge beans! Magic!

And, how is it, you think you've got every single bean....the next time you look, there is some absolutely huge things which would be awful to eat!
Cheers.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Elaine, could you not try selling some from your cottage gate, with an honesty box.

[Elaine]

Dear OH.

Cottage? What cottage....? in my dreams!!!!