Freezing Garden Green Beans

This year I didn’t plant very many green bean plants, so I have been able to pretty much eat everything that I’ve been picking fresh with very little excess.

For this small amount left over to preserve <and because the beans don’t keep long enough in the fridge for me to stockpile for a canning day>, it’s not really worth the effort to can a jar or two of beans at a time.
(Note: You must can green beans in a pressure canner. A water bath does not get hot enough to kill bacteria and preserve.)

Freezing is definitely the way to go. Here’s how I do it:

1.       Rinse and snap beans into 1 to 2 inch pieces.

 

 

2.       Get a pan of water boiling big enough to hold all of your beans...obvi.

3.       Once you have a good boil going, you can dump in the green beans – let boil for 5 minutes. I also add in some sea salt for good measure.

 

4.       While they are boiling, get a large bowl of ice water ready.

5.       Drain green beans under cold water and then immediately submerge in the bowl of ice water. This process is called blanching. It helps the green beans keep their color, taste, consistency, and it’s just what you are supposed to do, so don’t ask questions.

 

6.       I keep them submerged until they are cooled. It just takes a few minutes. Then I drain, pat dry, and transfer to a zip-loc bag. (I know, zip-loc, not very zero waste of me, but I haven’t found anything that works as well yet.)

7.       Label and throw in the freezer to enjoy later!