Kitchen Garden Forum

I have just picked 2 carrier bags of beans, one each of French and runners. I have never enjoyed eating the beans I have frozen in the past but know that other people really like them. So...do you blanch them and how long do you cook them for when you get them out of the freezer? I must be doing something wrong. Any help gratefully received.
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Granny

I don't think beans are worth freezing - never as good as fresh. Give 'em away.

Beryl.

Nothing is as good as fresh but beans do freeze well.

Runner beans I use one of those little bean slicer things and French beans I cut into 1" lengths. I dump them into boiling water for around 2 minutes then drain and dry them. I put them onto a tray in a shallow layer and open freeze. When frozen I bang them around so they're not lumped together and store in freezer bags.

When you want to use some, take as many as you need and boil for a few minutes until cooked.

With French beans I invariably finish them off by tossing them into a frying pan with some garlic, shallots and butter. They're scrummy.

Thanks, Chantal. Busy day today, then.
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Granny

Hi Granny,

I agree with Chantal's way of cooking of beans for freezing I have found if you add some lemon juice to the hot water as it helps to stop the beans from going black, I then dunk the cooked beans in cold water to stop the cooking process then carry on as Chantal has described and you will be able to keep the taste of summer well into winter.

Hope this is of some help

Kevin

I'm not keen on them after they've been frozen, but they make wonderful green vean chutney.

Kevin, I've never had beens go black, how odd.

Chantal wrote: I cut into 1" lengths. I dump them into boiling water for around 2 minutes then drain and dry them. I put them onto a tray in a shallow layer and open freeze.

One year, we had too little time & too many beans, so I just sliced & froze the French & Runner beans straight into bags.

The ones left beyond Xmas were definitley affected. However the ones we ate from September to Decemeber were fine. I also take the same approach with Sweet Corn cobs - again, they taste delicious without blanching.

On this basis, I've never bothered with the blanching stage since then!

Am I missing anything by this approach?


Colin

Hi Chantal,

Sorry I am not thinking stright this morning I mean discoloured

Kevin

I cut runner beans into two inch lengths, blanch for 2 mins and freeze loose until hard, when I bag them up.
Climbing beans I blanch in the same way and also freeze loose before bagging up, which makes it easier to take out a handful when needed, rather than being confronted with an iced up block. We tend not to eat them alone as a vegetable with meat, but use them in warm mixed bean salads or minestrone, and I also like them mixed in with fried tomatoes & onions, topped with a little grated cheddar or a couple of rashers of crispy bacon. I agree that freezing does cause them to lose their squeaky "al dente" texture, but mixed with other things & flavours they're too good to waste.