Food, Community And All Things Sustainable

August 29, 2011

Freezing Beans - Green, Wax and Snap



A quick and easy way to preserve beans is by freezing.  A few easy steps can make it possible for your family to enjoy beans throughout the winter months. Use fresh picked beans from your garden or the local farmers market.

For best results use vacuum seal bags, plastic bags or rigid plastic containers designed for use in the freezer.  Package according to your family’s needs: pint bags or containers hold 2 cups, quarts hold 4 cups.

The beans should be blanched and cooled before freezing. Lacking a blancher, use a kettle.
A handy chart provided by National Center for Home Food Preservation shows blanching times for various vegetables.

If you are new to blanching or need a refresher, read Blanching How-To

Freezing Beans

Equipment
Blancher
Large bowl of cold water
Freezer safe containers
Sharp knife for cutting beans to length

Ingredients
Fresh picked beans

Method
  • Wash and drain beans.
  • Remove stem end and the little “tail” at the opposite end with a sharp knife, or by snapping them off with your fingers.
  • Cut or snap the beans into 1” or 2” pieces.
  • Blanch for 3 minutes.
  • Remove from blancher and put into bowl of cold water.
  • Drain and put into freezer container.
  • Put containers in the freezer.

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