Tips on how to Freeze Inexperienced Beans With out Dropping Taste or Texture

Once I want a fast, dependable aspect dish for a household dinner, inexperienced beans are one in all my go-tos. That is very true once I make my simple inexperienced bean recipe! They’re easy, nutritious, and all the time a crowd-pleaser. The one draw back? Recent inexperienced beans aren’t obtainable year-round.

You’ll normally discover one of the best inexperienced beans from June by September, whether or not that’s on the grocery retailer, your native farmer’s market, and even your personal yard backyard. That is after they’re at their freshest and most inexpensive. So once I find yourself with a giant pile of gorgeous inexperienced beans on my counter, the very last thing I wish to do is allow them to go to waste.

That’s the place freezing is available in. I really like freezing recent inexperienced beans so I can get pleasure from all of them 12 months lengthy with out sacrificing taste, coloration, or vitamins. And one of the best half is, it’s approach simpler than you may suppose.

I’m sharing my easy, step-by-step methodology for freezing inexperienced beans the precise approach. The method retains them crisp, vibrant, and scrumptious, in order that they’re prepared everytime you want a fast veggie aspect. Let’s get freezing!

Tips on how to Freeze Inexperienced Beans With out Dropping Taste or Texture

Recent inexperienced beans don’t final very lengthy. They normally keep good for a couple of week within the fridge or a few days at room temperature. And actually, it looks like such a waste to toss these shiny inexperienced beauties within the trash. That’s why I really like practising just a little meals preservation and freezing it for later.

And right here’s the excellent news: freezing inexperienced beans doesn’t spoil them. Once you do it proper, their texture, coloration, and dietary worth keep intact. It’s one of many best methods to stretch your groceries, cut back meals waste, and preserve wholesome components readily available year-round.

That’s precisely why I’m dedicating this publish to exhibiting you tips on how to freeze inexperienced beans. I’ll additionally stroll you thru why they’re so good for you and share my finest suggestions for getting the tastiest inexperienced beans after freezing. 

Are Frozen Inexperienced Beans Good for You?

Sure, frozen inexperienced beans are completely good for you. And in lots of instances, they’re simply as nutritious as recent ones (generally much more so!). When inexperienced beans are frozen correctly, they preserve most of their nutritional vitamins, minerals, and fiber due to a fast step referred to as blanching. Don’t fear; I’ll stroll you thru precisely how to do this at residence in a bit.

Listed here are a number of of my favourite vitamins inexperienced beans deliver to the desk:

• Nutritional vitamins and Minerals: Frozen inexperienced beans maintain onto key vitamins, together with vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin Ok, folate, and minerals comparable to potassium and magnesium.
• Fiber: Freezing doesn’t have an effect on fiber in any respect. This implies frozen inexperienced beans are nonetheless nice for digestion and serving to preserve blood sugar balanced.
• Antioxidants: These antioxidants liable for inexperienced beans’ well being advantages—and their shiny inexperienced coloration—maintain up fantastically within the freezer.

So, if you happen to’re nervous that freezing your inexperienced beans reduces their dietary worth, now you already know! They’re almost simply as wholesome as recent ones, with the bonus of no looming expiration date.

Are Frozen Inexperienced Beans Higher Than Canned?

Sure, frozen inexperienced beans are nearly all the time a more sensible choice than canned. They preserve their texture, taste, and vitamins so a lot better. Plus, they’re frozen shortly after harvesting with out preservatives or additional components, which is a giant win in my ebook.

For those who’ve ever opened a can of inexperienced beans, you already know what I imply. They’re normally tender, form of mushy, and uninteresting in coloration. And if you happen to flip over the diet label, you’ll discover a variety of added sodium—which is completely pointless, for my part. That occurs as a result of canned inexperienced beans are cooked at a really excessive warmth for a very long time. This course of causes them to lose key nutritional vitamins, like vitamin C and B. 

Truthfully, you’ll by no means discover canned inexperienced beans in my pantry. I simply can’t get previous the floppy texture or all of the added salt. My women really feel the identical approach. They need nothing to do with a limp inexperienced bean! That’s precisely why frozen inexperienced beans are our go-to veggie.

Backside line: frozen inexperienced beans win in the case of diet, taste, and texture—no contest. 

Can You Freeze Recent Inexperienced Beans?

You’ll be able to completely freeze inexperienced beans at residence. However there’s just a little extra to it than tossing recent beans right into a freezer bag and calling it a day. In order for you your inexperienced beans to maintain that shiny inexperienced coloration, crisp crunch, and all their vitamins, blanching beans earlier than freezing is essential. This step is non-negotiable and makes all of the distinction.

Beneath, I’m strolling you thru my easy methodology for freezing inexperienced beans the precise approach. It’s simple, budget-friendly, and such a sensible transfer for each your well being and your grocery invoice. 

How Do You Freeze Inexperienced Beans?

Step 1: Kind, Wash, and Trim

Begin by spreading out all of your inexperienced beans and giving them a fast once-over. You’re on the lookout for bright-green beans which can be each agency and clean. If any are limp or spotty, both toss them or use them straight away. 

When you’ve picked the great ones, rinse the beans below cool water in a colander. Pat dry, then trim off the stem ends and tails if you happen to’d like. You’ll be able to go away them entire or minimize them into bite-sized items—no matter works finest for the way you intend to make use of them later. 

Step 2: Blanch

Subsequent, deliver a big pot of water to a rolling boil. Whereas the water heats up, fill a big bowl with chilly water and loads of ice. Belief me on this one: you’ll need your ice tub able to go earlier than the inexperienced beans hit the boiling water.

As soon as the water is boiling, rigorously add the inexperienced beans. Blanch inexperienced beans for two minutes in the event that they’re small or chopped, and three minutes in the event that they’re entire and bigger. Make sure to not overcook them—you’re simply giving them a fast dip.

As quickly because the timer goes off, use a strainer or slotted spoon to switch the beans straight into the ice tub. This stops the cooking instantly and helps lock in that shiny inexperienced coloration and vitamins. Let the beans sit within the ice tub for a similar period of time they have been within the boiling water. 

Step 3: Dry and Flash Freeze

As soon as the inexperienced beans are completed chilling, drain them from the ice tub and pat them fully dry with a clear towel. You can even use a salad spinner in case you have one—it really works nice right here. The bottom line is eradicating as a lot moisture as doable to forestall ice crystals and freezer burn in a while.

Subsequent, unfold the inexperienced beans out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Pop the tray into the freezer and allow them to flash freeze for 1-2 hours. This additional step is so value it. It retains the beans from freezing collectively into one huge inexperienced bean block! Plus, it makes them particularly simple to seize by the handful later. 

Step 4: Pack and Seal

As soon as the inexperienced beans are firmly frozen, switch them to a freezer-safe bag or container. I wish to portion them into “dinner-size” quantities. This lets me seize precisely what I want with out thawing the entire batch. Flat freezer baggage are my favourite as a result of they stack neatly and save a lot treasured freezer area.

Don’t neglect to label every bag with the date! Whereas frozen inexperienced beans don’t technically go unhealthy, you’ll get one of the best taste and texture if you happen to use them inside 8-12 months. 

Tips on how to Put together Inexperienced Beans for Freezing

Select your inexperienced beans rigorously.

For those who’re taking the time to freeze inexperienced beans, you wish to be sure you’re beginning with the great things. Spend a couple of minutes sorting by your beans and selecting one of the best ones for freezing. Search for beans which can be agency, crisp, and shiny inexperienced—these will freeze fantastically.

If any beans really feel limp, look spotty, or have darkish marks, set them apart. These are higher used straight away or tossed. Beginning with recent, high-quality beans makes all of the distinction whenever you pull them out of the freezer later. 

Trim and minimize the inexperienced beans.

Taking a number of additional minutes to trim these robust, woody ends off your inexperienced beans earlier than freezing is so value it. It makes cooking later a breeze—and saves you from biting into a tough, chewy piece at dinnertime (no thanks). 

For those who select to chop your inexperienced beans into smaller items, that helps them blanch and freeze extra evenly, too. The end result? Higher texture, extra even cooking, and inexperienced beans that style simply nearly as good whenever you pull them out of the freezer months later.

Steadily Requested Questions About Freezing Inexperienced Beans

Are you able to freeze cooked inexperienced beans?

Sure, you may freeze cooked inexperienced beans! Simply know that they’ll be a match softer as soon as thawed. For one of the best texture, barely undercook them earlier than freezing in order that they don’t flip mushy later.

How lengthy to blanch inexperienced beans for freezing?

Blanch inexperienced beans for 2-3 minutes, relying on their dimension. As quickly because the timer goes off, switch them straight into an ice tub to cease the cooking.

Are you able to freeze inexperienced beans with out blanching?

You can, however I don’t suggest it. Skipping blanching usually results in uninteresting coloration, off flavors, and a softer texture over time. Blanching actually makes an enormous distinction. 

Are you able to freeze canned inexperienced beans?

Technically, sure, nevertheless it’s not preferrred. Canned inexperienced beans are already very tender, so freezing and thawing them normally makes them even mushier.

Tips on how to freeze recent backyard inexperienced beans?

Begin by washing and trimming them. Blanch for 2-3 minutes, cool them in an ice tub, dry them effectively, then freeze in hermetic containers or freezer baggage.

How lengthy are you able to freeze inexperienced beans?

For one of the best taste and texture, use frozen inexperienced beans inside 8-12 months. They’re nonetheless fit for human consumption past that, however high quality might begin to decline.

Are you able to freeze inexperienced beans earlier than canning?

Sure, you may freeze them first if wanted. However for one of the best texture and high quality, it’s all the time a good suggestion to can inexperienced beans whereas they’re recent.

Freezing your recent inexperienced beans is a wholesome and scrumptious solution to stop meals waste and decrease your grocery invoice.

With regards to meals preservation, I’m all in on getting essentially the most out of our groceries. (Even higher when it’s one thing we’ve grown ourselves!) One in every of my favourite methods to do this is by freezing recent fruits and veggies, particularly inexperienced beans.

Any time I spot recent produce on sale or deliver residence a giant haul from the farmer’s market, I prep what I can and tuck it into the freezer. That approach, nothing goes to waste, and I all the time have wholesome components able to go. It’s such a easy behavior, nevertheless it makes a giant distinction.

So subsequent time you see lovely, shiny inexperienced beans on the market, seize a bunch and freeze them for later. You’ll be so glad you probably did!
And if you happen to’re able to freeze much more recent components, be sure you try my posts “Tips on how to Freeze Recent Blueberries” and “Tips on how to Freeze Cauliflower Rice” subsequent.