Thursday, August 02, 2007

Freezing Green Beans

Freezing green beans (or any veggie) is very easy to do. It is an economical way to be able to enjoy your garden in the dead of winter. So don't let those extra beans spoil and don't give them to the neighbors - freeze them!


Chop beans into uniform pieces.


Blanch in steamer for 3 minutes.


As soon as the 3 minutes is up, plunge into an ice water bath.


When cold, drain and spread out on a cookie sheet. Put in freezer. You can skip this step and just pack into a freezer container, but I like to do this so they are frozen individually and not in a clump - that way you can pour out how much you want at a time.


Pack into freezer containers, label and put in freezer. You can use Freezer Bags or sturdy plastic containers, but I am trying to avoid all use of plastics - so I freeze in glass canning jars.
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9 comments:

  1. Val Webb11:12 AM

    Thanks for all your good food storage information. It's very inspiring... but it always makes me hungry!! :) Wonderful blog.

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  2. Debbie Ann7:54 PM

    Just found your blog tonight and am enjoying reading about all your garden & canning endeavors.

    I was glad I read your tip about freezing the green beans on a sheet pan. I've always just packed mine into a freezer container after cooling them in my water.

    I can't wait to try them your way. I will look forward to pouring out just the amount I need rather than the big clump I always have to deal with. THANKS! :)

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  3. Anonymous2:23 PM

    THANKS FOR THE INFO,I DIDNT KNOW YOU COULD FREEZE GREEN BEANS,THIS WILL HELP WITH THE OVERLOAD,THANKS AGAIN,ROBERT

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  4. Anonymous11:57 AM

    Thanks from another newbie. I never understood why people used a cookie sheet before!

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  5. Anonymous2:56 PM

    Thanks for the graet blog. I tried the no preserves applesauce and I didn't add any sugar. It was graet. No one thought that it would stay good without preserves but its fine. I was so pumped. I have to try the freezing of the green beans because last time I tries they were really soggy when I took them out of the freezer. Do you have any sugarless jams with no preserves? I would be interested in trying something like that...

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  6. Anonymous1:31 PM

    Hi Kathi,

    Why do you need to blanch them before freezing? I usually just freeze them straight away.

    Thanks!
    P

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  7. Kathi2:02 PM

    The reason you need to blanch your veggies before freezing is to kill the enzymes that can make your veggies go bad - even in the freezer! It also sets the color and texture.

    Blanching is not necessary for freezing. But doing so will be fresher looking and tastier for a longer period of time.

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  8. Anonymous7:31 AM

    How does the lid get sealed on the glass jar before you freeze them?

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  9. Kathi4:51 PM

    You don't need to seal them for freezing - you only need to seal them if you are canning them.

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