Learning how to blanch fresh green beans is super easy! Once they're blanched they can finish cooking in a soup, stew or casserole or be frozen for later use.
Green beans are the most made vegetable in my house. I love them and they're one of very few vegetables that I can get my husband to eat on a regular basis, so they're featured in my meal plan at least one night a week.
For ease, I typically buy frozen green beans and use those for the side dishes I make, but since signing up for a CSA, I've received fresh green beans quite a few times. They're also a pretty easy vegetable to grow, if you were looking to start a garden. But you'll definitely need to know how to blanch them!
What you need
- fresh green beans
- a knife
- large pot of boiling water
- large bowl filled with cold water and ice
how to blanch green beans
- Trim green beans. Cut off any stringy ends or parts of the green beans that look bad or are mushy.
- Boil the green beans. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and once at a rolling boil, add the green beans and cook for 3-5 minutes. You want the beans to keep that bright green color and still be slightly crisp.
- Transfer to an ice bath. Once the beans are boiling, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beans from the boiling water to an ice bath. Let them sit in there for a few minutes, then drain.
- Dry the beans for cooking or freezing. Place the blanched beans on paper towels to let dry. Once dry, you can cut them to the size you'd like and either use them in a recipe or freeze them.
FAQ's
- How do you freeze blanched green beans? Once they're dry, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer until they're frozen solid. Then you can transfer them to a container or ziplock bag and keep in the freezer for 6-8 months.
- Do I need to blanch green beans before freezing? Yes, it will better preserve the beans, keeping their color and texture.
Recipes Using Green Beans
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How to Blanch Green Beans
Easy steps for how to blanch fresh green beans for cooking or freezing
Calories:
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh green beans
Instructions
- Rinse green beans in cool water. Remove any stems and cut off any ends that look bad or mushy.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for 3-5 minutes, until they are crispy and still bright green, but slightly tender.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove green beans to a large bowl filled with cold water and ice. Let beans sit for a few minutes to stop the cooking process.
- Transfer green beans to a colander and let excess water drain. Then place on a sheet pan, covered with a paper towel and blot dry. Let dry for a few minutes.
- Green beans can now be cooked in a recipe or frozen. See notes for freezing.
Notes
To Freeze: transfer sheet pan of dried green beans in a single layer, to the freeze and freeze until solid, then transfer to a container or ziplock bag and store for 6-8 months.
Green beans can be cut into bite sized pieces after being dried and before freezing if desired.
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