To preserve beans, you need to freeze them. However, important steps must be taken beforehand in order to achieve an optimal result. In this article, you will find out what you need to consider when preparing for freezing.
Beans can be stored in the freezer for up to ten months. You can freeze them cooked or freeze them raw. To ensure that nothing goes wrong when freezing the beans, it is advisable to observe the following points:
Freeze green beans
With our step-by-step instructions, nothing can go wrong when freezing. So you can enjoy bean dishes such as meat sausage and bean pot all year round. In addition, you can freeze not only the green beans but also other garden beans, such as wax beans or green beans in this way. You can then use the frozen supplies to prepare delicious bean dishes at any time.
Wash and prepare beans
Follow this step-by-step guide to preparing the beans.
- You should wash the beans before you freeze them to remove dirt.
- Now cut off the ends of the beans with kitchen scissors – about half a centimeter.
- To be able to blanch the beans right away, you need a pot with boiling water and salt.
- Set a bowl of cold water with ice cubes next to the saucepan to chill the beans.
Blanch and cool the beans
Blanching means that you first cook the beans very briefly in boiling water and then chill them in ice-cold water. Beans, kohlrabi, or carrots are blanched for 3-5 minutes, and cabbage is blanched a little longer. Place the beans in the pot of boiling water so that all of the beans are completely covered with water. Then let the beans cook for only about 3 to 5 minutes and then drain them. Then, by immediately adding the beans to the bowl of ice-cold water, you’ll preserve their vitamins and colors. Also, note our tips for freezing asparagus.
Drying the beans is very important. It is best to dry the beans as much as possible. This is because if there is still too much liquid, they will freeze together, making it more difficult to remove them individually from the freezer bag later. Tea towels are best for drying the beans. Dab the beans and wrap them in the tea towel. If you have a lot of time, it is best to let the beans dry and spread them out on the tea towel.
Freeze raw beans
To freeze the beans, it is best to place them in a reusable zip lock bag or in a plastic container. Now put them in the freezer. The beans can then be stored in the freezer for eight to ten months.
Freeze cooked beans
If you haven’t just blanched your beans, but already cooked them, you can also freeze them. Place the finished bean dish in a freezer container and follow our food freezing tips and guide. Then you can conjure up your bean dish on the table again later if necessary.
More on freezing
Freezing allows you to make food last longer. Freezing leftover fresh bread or rolls is a great way to keep food from going to waste. If you want to preserve foods such as meat, mushrooms, zucchini, and kitchen herbs such as wild garlic, you can simply freeze them raw. However, other vegetables, such as cauliflower, peas, spinach, beans, carrots, and chanterelles, must be blanched beforehand. Check out our tips on freezing mushrooms for more details. You can also find instructions on how to freeze meat in our articles.
