Once I want a fast, dependable aspect dish for a household dinner, inexperienced beans are certainly one of my go-tos. That is very true after I make my simple inexperienced bean recipe! They’re easy, nutritious, and at all times a crowd-pleaser. The one draw back? Contemporary inexperienced beans aren’t accessible year-round.
You’ll often discover the perfect 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 after I find yourself with a giant pile of lovely 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 yr lengthy with out sacrificing taste, colour, or vitamins. And the perfect half is, it’s method simpler than you may assume.
I’m sharing my easy, step-by-step technique for freezing inexperienced beans the proper method. The method retains them crisp, vibrant, and scrumptious, so that they’re prepared everytime you want a fast veggie aspect. Let’s get freezing!
Learn how to Freeze Inexperienced Beans With out Shedding Taste or Texture
Contemporary inexperienced beans don’t final very lengthy. They often keep good for a few week within the fridge or a few days at room temperature. And truthfully, it appears like such a waste to toss these vibrant inexperienced beauties within the trash. That’s why I really like working towards somewhat meals preservation and freezing it for later.
And right here’s the excellent news: freezing inexperienced beans doesn’t wreck them. Whenever you do it proper, their texture, colour, and dietary worth keep intact. It’s one of many best methods to stretch your groceries, scale back meals waste, and preserve wholesome components readily available year-round.
That’s precisely why I’m dedicating this publish to displaying you learn 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 circumstances, 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 known as blanching. Don’t fear; I’ll stroll you thru precisely how to do this at residence in a bit.
Listed below 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 equivalent 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 vibrant inexperienced colour—maintain up fantastically within the freezer.
So, if you happen to’re frightened that freezing your inexperienced beans reduces their dietary worth, now you realize! 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 at all times a more sensible choice than canned. They preserve their texture, taste, and vitamins so significantly better. Plus, they’re frozen shortly after harvesting with out preservatives or additional components, which is a giant win in my e-book.
In the event you’ve ever opened a can of inexperienced beans, you realize what I imply. They’re often mushy, form of mushy, and boring in colour. And if you happen to flip over the diet label, you’ll discover quite a lot of 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 diet, taste, and texture—no contest.
Can You Freeze Contemporary Inexperienced Beans?
You may completely freeze inexperienced beans at residence. However there’s somewhat 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 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 technique for freezing inexperienced beans the proper method. 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 nice 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 may depart them complete or minimize them into bite-sized items—no matter works finest for a way you propose 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 bathtub 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. Ensure 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 bathtub. This stops the cooking instantly and helps lock in that vibrant inexperienced colour and vitamins. Let the beans sit within the ice bathtub 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 completed chilling, drain them from the ice bathtub and pat them utterly dry with a clear towel. You may also use a salad spinner you probably have one—it really works nice right here. The hot button is eradicating as a lot moisture as potential to stop 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 luggage 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 dangerous, you’ll get the perfect taste and texture if you happen to use them inside 8-12 months.
Learn how to Put together Inexperienced Beans for Freezing
Select your inexperienced beans rigorously.
In the event you’re taking the time to freeze inexperienced beans, you wish to be sure you’re beginning with the good things. Spend a couple of minutes sorting by your beans and selecting the perfect ones for freezing. Search for beans which can be agency, crisp, and vibrant 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 if 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).
In the event you 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 pretty much as good if you pull them out of the freezer months later.
Incessantly 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 the perfect 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 bathtub to cease the cooking.
Are you able to freeze inexperienced beans with out blanching?
You can, however I don’t advocate it. Skipping blanching usually 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, nevertheless it’s not splendid. Canned inexperienced beans are already very mushy, so freezing and thawing them often makes them even mushier.
Learn how to freeze recent backyard inexperienced beans?
Begin by washing and trimming them. Blanch for 2-3 minutes, cool them in an ice bathtub, dry them properly, then freeze in hermetic containers or freezer luggage.
How lengthy are you able to freeze inexperienced beans?
For the perfect 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 the perfect 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 technique to stop meals waste and decrease your grocery invoice.
On the subject of 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 among 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 method, nothing goes to waste, and I at all times have wholesome components able to go. It’s such a easy behavior, nevertheless it makes a giant distinction.
So subsequent time you see stunning, vibrant 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, remember to take a look at my posts “Learn how to Freeze Contemporary Blueberries” and “Learn how to Freeze Cauliflower Rice” subsequent.
