How to Freeze Fresh Green Beans
We find a lot of use for peas in the kitchen. Curry dishes, spaghetti, pasta and salads use green peas in their preparation. Since they cannot be in season all year long, peas are also available in frozen form to ensure availability whenever you need them. Frozen peas are easily available at grocery stores which you can buy. However, these commercial peas are usually very pricey. With a little bit of effort, you can freeze your own peas in bulk when they are in season and use them all through the off-season. Freezing is the safest way to conserve peas and is relatively cost effective.
Instructions
-
1
Pick green beans at harvest time by pinching the beans off the stem. Harvest some for daily fresh use and the surplus for freezing. If you do not grow your own beans, you can buy from the market for freezing. Make sure you buy only the highest quality green beans that are available in the market. The fresher the green peas the better they will keep while they are frozen.
-
2
Wash the beans well to get rid of any contaminants and deposits. Now place them on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to trim off both the end. After you discard the edges, cut the remaining beans into small parts. The average size should be around 1 inch long. Make sure to be careful while using a sharp knife as you do not want to get cut.
-
3
Now is the time to blanch your beans. Blanching is a process which kills the enzymes inside vegetables and stops them from rotting by breaking down. Bring to boil water in a saucepan. Just when it is boiling, place the beans inside the hot water. Keep them there for a couple of minutes. Lift up the beans and immediately transfer to a large bowl of ice cold water. Let the beans cool down before draining them off. It is better to use a colander for this purpose as it makes lifting the beans really easy. Make sure you cool the beans quickly in the ice cold water.
-
4
Pour the beans into freezer bag and seal them. You should leave a half inch of space between the top of the beans and the bag seal. Try to press out as much air as possible out of the freezer bags. Place in the freezer and use according to your needs. It might also be good idea to properly label the plastic freezer bags with the date you froze the beans. This will serve as a guide later on when you want to use them during the off-season.
