After I want a fast, dependable facet dish for a household dinner, inexperienced beans are one in all my go-tos. That is very true after I make my straightforward inexperienced bean recipe! They’re easy, nutritious, and at all times 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 way of September, whether or not that’s on the grocery retailer, your native farmer’s market, and even your personal yard backyard. That is once they’re at their freshest and most reasonably priced. So after I find yourself with an enormous pile of gorgeous inexperienced beans on my counter, the very last thing I need to do is allow them to go to waste.
That’s the place freezing is available in. I like freezing recent inexperienced beans so I can take pleasure in all of them yr lengthy with out sacrificing taste, colour, or vitamins. And one of the best half is, it’s method simpler than you may suppose.
I’m sharing my easy, step-by-step methodology for freezing inexperienced beans the suitable method. The method retains them crisp, vibrant, and scrumptious, so that they’re prepared everytime you want a fast veggie facet. 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 few week within the fridge or a few days at room temperature. And actually, it seems like such a waste to toss these vibrant inexperienced beauties within the trash. That’s why I like working towards just a little meals preservation and freezing it for later.
And right here’s the excellent news: freezing inexperienced beans doesn’t damage them. While you do it proper, their texture, colour, and dietary worth keep intact. It’s one of many best methods to stretch your groceries, cut back meals waste, and preserve wholesome components available year-round.
That’s precisely why I’m dedicating this submit to exhibiting you the right way to freeze inexperienced beans. I’ll additionally stroll you thru why they’re so good for you and share my finest ideas 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 (typically much more so!). When inexperienced beans are frozen correctly, they preserve most of their nutritional vitamins, minerals, and fiber due to a fast step known 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 convey to the desk:
- Nutritional vitamins and Minerals: Frozen inexperienced beans maintain onto key vitamins, together with vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin Okay, 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 answerable for inexperienced beans’ well being advantages—and their vibrant inexperienced colour—maintain up superbly within the freezer.
So, in the event you’re apprehensive that freezing your inexperienced beans reduces their dietary worth, now you understand! 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 virtually at all times a more sensible choice than canned. They preserve their texture, taste, and vitamins so significantly better. Plus, they’re frozen rapidly after harvesting with out preservatives or further components, which is an enormous win in my guide.
If you happen to’ve ever opened a can of inexperienced beans, you understand what I imply. They’re normally tender, type of mushy, and boring in colour. And in the event you flip over the vitamin label, you’ll discover numerous added sodium—which is completely pointless, in my view. 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 method. 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 relation to vitamin, taste, and texture—no contest.
Can You Freeze Recent Inexperienced Beans?
You possibly can 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. If you need your inexperienced beans to maintain that vibrant inexperienced colour, crisp crunch, and all their vitamins, blanching beans earlier than freezing is essential. This step is non-negotiable and makes all of the distinction.
Under, I’m strolling you thru my easy methodology for freezing inexperienced beans the suitable method. It’s straightforward, 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 searching for bright-green beans which might be each agency and clean. If any are limp or spotty, both toss them or use them instantly.
When you’ve picked the great ones, rinse the beans underneath cool water in a colander. Pat dry, then trim off the stem ends and tails in the event you’d like. You possibly can depart them complete or minimize them into bite-sized items—no matter works finest for the way you propose to make use of them later.
Step 2: Blanch
Subsequent, convey 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 complete and bigger. Be certain 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 vibrant inexperienced colour and vitamins. Let the beans sit within the ice tub for a similar period of time they had been within the boiling water.
Step 3: Dry and Flash Freeze
As soon as the inexperienced beans are carried out chilling, drain them from the ice tub and pat them utterly dry with a clear towel. You can even use a salad spinner in case you have one—it really works nice right here. The secret is eradicating as a lot moisture as doable to forestall ice crystals and freezer burn afterward.
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 further step is so price it. It retains the beans from freezing collectively into one large inexperienced bean block! Plus, it makes them particularly straightforward 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 would like with out thawing the entire batch. Flat freezer luggage are my favourite as a result of they stack neatly and save a lot valuable 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 in the event you use them inside 8-12 months.
Tips on how to Put together Inexperienced Beans for Freezing
Select your inexperienced beans rigorously.
If you happen to’re taking the time to freeze inexperienced beans, you need to ensure you’re beginning with the good things. Spend a couple of minutes sorting by way of your beans and selecting one of the best ones for freezing. Search for beans which might be agency, crisp, and vibrant inexperienced—these will freeze superbly.
If any beans really feel limp, look spotty, or have darkish marks, set them apart. These are higher used instantly 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 further minutes to trim these robust, woody ends off your inexperienced beans earlier than freezing is so price it. It makes cooking later a breeze—and saves you from biting into a tough, chewy piece at dinnertime (no thanks).
If you happen to select to chop your inexperienced beans into smaller items, that helps them blanch and freeze extra evenly, too. The outcome? Higher texture, extra even cooking, and inexperienced beans that style simply pretty much as good whenever you pull them out of the freezer months later.
Often 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 so 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 advocate it. Skipping blanching typically results in boring colour, off flavors, and a softer texture over time. Blanching actually makes an enormous distinction.
Are you able to freeze canned inexperienced beans?
Technically, sure, but it surely’s not perfect. 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 nicely, then freeze in hermetic containers or freezer luggage.
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 suitable for eating past that, however high quality could 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 at all times a good suggestion to can inexperienced beans whereas they’re recent.
Freezing your recent inexperienced beans is a wholesome and scrumptious method to forestall meals waste and decrease your grocery invoice.
In terms of meals preservation, I’m all in on getting probably the most out of our groceries. (Even higher when it’s one thing we’ve grown ourselves!) Certainly one 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 convey residence an enormous haul from the farmer’s market, I prep what I can and tuck it into the freezer. That method, nothing goes to waste, and I at all times have wholesome components able to go. It’s such a easy behavior, but it surely makes an enormous distinction.
So subsequent time you see lovely, vibrant inexperienced beans on the market, seize a bunch and freeze them for later. You’ll be so glad you probably did!
And in the event you’re able to freeze much more recent components, you should definitely try my posts “Tips on how to Freeze Recent Blueberries” and “Tips on how to Freeze Cauliflower Rice” subsequent.
