How to Freeze Green Beans for Long-Term Storage: A Simple Guide

According to SAEDNEWS, Green beans are highly nutritious and make the perfect substitute for meat. They are rich in vitamins C, K, B1, and A, as well as iron, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, fiber, potassium, folate, magnesium, copper, protein, omega-3, and niacin. The best time to harvest green beans is in the summer, so to enjoy them in other seasons, it’s important to know proper storage methods. Freezing green beans is one of the best long-term storage methods, which we will cover in this section.

Trimming Green Beans

Start by using a sharp knife to trim both ends of the green beans. Some varieties of green beans have stringy fibers running from top to bottom along the pod. If the beans you're using have these fibers, make sure to remove them.

Washing Green Beans

After trimming the green beans, place them in a bowl of water and let them soak for a few minutes to loosen any dirt or debris. Then, rinse them thoroughly under cold water. Allow the excess water to drain completely.

Cutting Green Beans

Bundle the beans together and chop them to your desired size. You can also leave some beans whole to use in dishes like bean stew.

Blanching Green Beans

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the green beans to the boiling water. Depending on their size, boil small beans for 2 minutes, medium beans for 3 minutes, and large beans for 4 minutes.

How to Freeze Green Beans for Long-Term Storage

First, chop the green beans. Hold both ends of the beans with your hands, then group them together and use a sharp knife to cut them into your desired size. Be sure to keep the sizes consistent. If you cut them too large, they won’t look good, and if they’re too small, they’ll shrink and lose their shape after cooking.

Next, cook the green beans. Place them in a pot, add 1 cup of water, some oil, and about 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Stir well, cover the pot, and let the beans cook for 20 minutes until they become tender. Adding turmeric will give them a beautiful color.

Wash the tomatoes and grate them finely. Add the grated tomatoes, 2 sugar cubes, and a pinch of salt to the beans. You can use a food processor or an immersion blender to blend the tomatoes. Sauté the mixture on high heat for a few minutes until the tomato juice evaporates. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Once cooled, transfer the beans into a zip-lock bag and store them in the freezer. Enjoy!