How to preserve fresh beans by freezing them

HOW TO PRESERVE YOUR BEANS

I went out into my garden the other day to inspect my edible plants to find that I had a bumper crop of beans. Presently my beans are in full production mode and as such I have more than I can eat so I decided to freeze some. I will admit that I haven't really done much preserving of produce in the past so I thought that freezing my beans would be an easy start into the world of produce preservation. Its really easy to do and many of you probably already know this but some may not so here it goes.

Why should you freeze beans using this method?

Freezing beans using this method will preserve the colour and nutrients inside the beans. If you just throw them in the freezer without blanching them they will be dull and less nutritious when you re-heat them.

You will need

• A colander
• Freshly picked beans (the sooner you freeze them the better)
• Chopping board
• Knife 
• Boiling pot
• Cooling bowl (any large bowl)
• Zip lock bags
• Water
• A freezer

Method

1. Pick your beans just before you plan to freeze them. If you leave them in the fridge overnight and then freeze them they won't be as nutritious or tasty

2. Boil a large pot of water. You will need enough to cover the beans.

3. Cut off the tops of the beans (the part with the stem attached) and the tails if desired. Then cut them into bite sized pieces.

4. Fill the cooling bowl with cold water and plenty of ice.

5. Place the beans in the boiling water then remove them after 2 minutes. Drain them in a colander.

6. Directly after draining the beans place them into the cold water until cooled.

7. Once cooled drain them in the colander.

8. Pack them into your zip lock bags, leaving a little room at the top, then place them in the freezer.

Re-heating the frozen beans

The trick to reheating them is not to boil or steam them for too long. If you do so the beans can become mushy and a bit bland. I usually place the frozen beans in boiling water then just bring the water back to the boil for only 30 seconds. If you are unsure just taste one of the beans and remove them when you are happy.