Freezing Fresh Green Beans

Skill Level: Beginnger

Skills Attained: Freezing Vegetables

Supplies:

• Fresh Green Beans
• Knife
• Cutting Board
• Large Pot with Lid
• Water
• Slotted Spoon
• Ice
• Large Bowl
• Cookie Sheet
• Freezer Bag

Green beans are a staple crop in my garden each year. They grow fairly easily, and everyone in my house likes to eat them. Although I don't plant an over-abudance of beans, I seem to grow more than we can eat when they are fresh. So, I like to find ways to enjoy these vegetables outside of their garden fresh season. You can certainly can green beans, but I enjoy frozen green beans more (frozen beans seem to be more crisp when cooked than canned beans, in my opinion). Here are step-by-step instructions on how to freeze fresh green beans.

After picking the beans, cut off the ends and cut into the desired length. 

Parboil the green beans for approximately 2 - 3 minutes in boiling water. (Parboil is a cooking method that simply means to cook part way in boiling water.)

Immediately after boiling, use a slotted spoon and place the beans in an ice water bath. (This step stops the beans from continuing to cook. You don't want the beans to overcook; they will get rubbery if overcooked at this step.)

After the vegetables have cooled in the water bath, drain the beans and place them on a single-layer on a cookie sheet. Place in the freezer until frozen (a few hours up to 12 hours). (This steps prevents the beans from freezing into one big ice block.)

Remove the frozen green beans from the cookie sheet and place in freezer bag. Store in the freezer until ready to use (up to 6 months). 

To cook, steam the green beans until they reach their desired tenderness (5 - 8 minutes). 

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