How To Freeze Green Beans
Wondering how to freeze green beans? You’re in luck! This article will you guide step by step through 3 different methods for freezing your bounty of beans while they are fresh and in season. I have used each of these methods with good results, although I do have a favorite…more on that later.
This post contains affiliate links or advertisements. You won’t pay extra but I may earn a small commission if you purchase products through those links. Thank you for supporting The Self Sufficient HomeAcre!
Blanching Beans
The first step in freezing vegetables (including green, wax, or Roma beans) is blanching. This step involves heating the vegetables through to kill the natural enzymes. Freezing vegetables without blanching (or under blanching them) causes deterioration of the plant matter, leading to loss of nutrients, flavor, color, and texture.
There are 3 different methods for blanching your vegetables: steaming, boiling, or microwaving.
For all 3 methods, begin by washing beans thoroughly and snipping the ends off. You can also snap them into smaller pieces or leave them whole depending on your preference.
Steam Blanching
Blanching vegetables in steam should be done in smaller batches than boiling them. However, steaming helps to preserve more of the nutrients. This is my favorite method of blanching vegetables unless I have a ton of produce to put up in a short time.
- Bring pot of water to boil
- Place steamer or colandar on pot
- Place beans in steamer and cover with lid
- Steam for 3 minutes
- Remove from heat and chill
Boiling Water Blanching
Blanching vegetables in boiling water will allow you to prepare larger batches more quickly. When I feel overwhelmed by all the veggies from our garden, I often use this method.
- Bring pot of water to a boil
- Add beans
- Blanch for 3 minutes
- Remove beans from boiling water and chill
Microwave Blanching
Blanching with a microwave doesn’t heat your kitchen up as much as boiling a pot of water, and it’s easier for small batches. However, microwave blanching may not kill all of the enzymes, so I recommend using these veggies up quickly to prevent loss of nutritional value and flavor.
- Place small batches of beans in microwave proof container with lid
- Add about 1/2 cup water
- Microwave on high for 3 minutes or until color deepens to dark green and beans are pliable
- Chill
Chilling and Freezing Blanched Beans
As soon as beans are blanched, remove them from heat and chill quickly. The faster your veggies are chilled, the more nutrients they will retain. Here are several ways to chill blanched vegetables quickly:
- Cold water
- Bowl of ice or ice water
- Spread on cookie sheet and place in freezer
Pack Them in Freezer Bags
Once the vegetables are chilled, you may pack them in freezer bags or use a vacuum sealing system to package them in freezer bags with the air removed.
Vegetables frozen in vacuum-sealed bags will last much longer than those stored in zip-lock type bags. I use both types of bags, although I prefer the vacuum-sealed bags. Any veggies froze in zip lock bags are used first so they don’t get freezer burn.
Be Sure to Label Them!
Make sure you label the freezer bags with the contents and date they were processed! This makes it much easier to grab what you want and use your frozen goods up before they get freezer burned.
This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. You will not pay any extra for these products and I’ll earn a small commission to help support this blog. Be advised that Amazon places cookies on your browser.
Shared on Farm Fresh Tuesdays, the Simple Homestead Hop, The Homestead Hop, and Off Grid Hop
Thank you for explaining why it’s important to blanch them,a s well as steps to do so. I really appreciate it. And thanks for sharing on the Homestead Blog Hop. I hope we see more this Wednesday.
Happy to share, Kelly! And thank you for hosting the Homestead Blog Hop! See you tomorrow 🙂
I do not have a pressure canner, so this is perfect for preserving some of my green beans. Thanks!
Hi Stacie…glad to help out! Freezing is so much easier than pressure canning…this is how I like to preserve my beans for later.
I love steam blanching many veggies, especially beans and peas! It is so much easier! Great post! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, AnnMarie! This is by far my favorite way to preserve my veggies for winter. 🙂
I hadn’t thought about steam blanching them. I think they’d dry faster that way too. Thank you!
I dumped them in cold water to chill them…so I don’t know how much drier they were. 🙂