My green beans in my garden are growing so quickly. Everyday we are picking handfuls of beans. Over the weekend I prepared some green beans for the freezer.
Vegetables require blanching before freezing. They have enzymes that need to be killed before freezing otherwise the vegetables will not be good when they are defrosted. It is very easy to blanch vegetables and takes just a few minutes.
Blanching Green Beans
First, wash your green beans under cold water. Cut the ends off and then cut the green beans into 2-4″ pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
I leave my green beans right in the metal colander. This makes it easy to quickly remove the beans from the boiling water. Add the green beans to the boiling water and set your kitchen timer for 3 minutes. It is important that you boil them for exactly 3 minutes- too little time and the enzymes won’t be killed and too long and they will over cook.
As soon as the timer goes off, dunk the green beans in ice cold water. I get a bowl of ice cubes and cold water ready and then plunge the colander into it. The cooling process stops the green beans from cooking. Once they are cool, drain the water.
Package the green beans in meal size portions. I use a Food Saver to vacuum seal items for the freezer.
Do you freeze produce from your garden?
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