SAEDNEWS: Green beans are a tasty and nutrient-packed vegetable that can elevate a variety of dishes. They can be used to prepare green bean rice, bean stew, green bean fritters, pickled beans, and many other recipes, offering a flavorful and low-calorie addition to your meals.
Green beans are highly nutritious and an excellent alternative to meat. They are packed with vitamins C, K, B1, 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 summer, but if you want to enjoy them year-round, proper storage methods are essential. Freezing is one of the most effective ways to preserve green beans for the long term, and here’s how to do it.
Cleaning Green Beans
Start by trimming the ends of the green beans with a sharp knife. Some varieties have fibrous strings running from top to bottom. If your beans have these strings, be sure to remove them.
Washing Green Beans
After trimming, place the beans in a bowl of water and let them soak for a few minutes to remove dirt and debris. Rinse them under cold water and drain thoroughly.
Chopping Green Beans
Bundle the beans together and chop them to your desired size. You can leave some whole if you plan to use them in a green bean stew.
Blanching Green Beans
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the beans—small beans for 2 minutes, medium beans for 3 minutes, and large beans for 4 minutes.
Ingredients for Freezing Green Beans with Tomato
1 kg green beans
1 kg tomatoes
Olive oil or regular cooking oil, as needed
2 sugar cubes
Salt and turmeric, as needed
How to Freeze Green Beans for Long-Term Storage
Chop the green beans into uniform sizes for even cooking. Avoid pieces that are too large or too small.
Cook the beans in a pot with 1 small glass of water, a bit of oil, and 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until tender. Turmeric enhances the beans’ color beautifully.
Wash and finely grate the tomatoes. Add them to the beans with sugar cubes and a pinch of salt. You can use a food processor or hand blender to mix the tomatoes.
Sauté over high heat until the tomato liquid evaporates, then let it cool. Transfer to zip-lock bags and store in the freezer.
Tips for Delicious Frozen Green Beans with Tomato
Adding sugar reduces the acidity of the tomatoes.
Turmeric gives the beans a vibrant color.
Fresh green beans should be crisp and green; pale or soft beans are not fresh.
Blanching is optional, but this method creates an exceptional flavor, perfect for green bean stew or green bean rice.
