Home & Garden

How To Freeze Green Beans (With Or Without Blanching)

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Freezing green beans is fast and simple, and a great way to keep them on hand whenever you need them.

Having an overabundance of green beans is very common for gardeners in the summer, but the good news is that you can freeze them for later.

They are some of the best vegetables to freeze because they maintain their quality in texture and taste well, with minimal effort.

In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to freeze green beans from your garden or the grocery store with a few easy-to-follow steps.

Freezing Green Beans With Or Without Blanching

Preparing Green Beans For Freezing

Preparing green beans for freezing isn’t complicated. Simply give them a quick rinse, and trim the stem ends off.

Then you can either leave them whole or cut them into smaller pieces, depending on your preference, or how you plan to use them later on.

Related Post: How To Grow Green Beans At Home

Can You Freeze Green Beans Without Blanching Them First?

The good news is that you can freeze green beans without balancing them first, which will save you even more time.

But of course you could blanch them if you prefer. Some people feel that it locks in the flavor better. But it’s totally up to you if you want to take the extra step.

How To Blanch Green Beans To Freeze Them

If you decide to blanch your green beans before freezing them, simply drop them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.

Then promptly remove them and place them in a bowl of ice water to prevent fully cooking them.

The goal is to flash-heat them, and not cook them. Doing this helps to seal in the flavor and clean impurities from the green beans surface.

Cooling blanched green beans before freezing

Methods For Freezing Green Beans

Whether you want to freeze your green beans with or without blanching them first, there are a few different ways you can do it.

Freezing Whole Or Cut Pieces

The fastest method to use is to simply place the whole or cut pieces into baggies, regardless of whether they’re blanched or raw.

The downfall to this method is that they could end up sticking together or creating one large block, which can be difficult to separate later on without thawing the whole thing first.

Flash Freezing

To prevent your green beans from clumping, you can flash freeze them first. It takes a little longer to do it this way, but it will keep them from sticking together.

To flash freeze them, simply arrange your green beans in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Then place them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes, or until they are solid to the touch, before filling your bags.

Tools & Supplies Needed

Below is a list of the equipment necessary for all of these methods. But, depending on the process you choose to use, you might not need everything.

How To Store Green Beans In The Freezer

My preferred method of storing green beans in the freezer is to use baggies. That way they lay nice and flat and stack easily, which saves space.

But you could vacuum-seal them first to reduce the chance of freezer burn. Or put them in any type of freezer-safe container that you prefer.

How Long Do Frozen Green Beans Last?

Frozen green beans last about 6 months when stored correctly. You could keep them longer, but they usually start to degrade in flavor and become more prone to freezer burn over time.

Make sure to use a permanent marker to label your containers with the date you froze them so you know when they will expire.

Getting ready store my frozen green beans

FAQs

Here are some of the most common questions I get asked about freezing green beans, along with my answers. If you can’t find yours here, ask it in the comments below.

How long do you blanch green beans before freezing them?

You can blanch green beans for 2-3 minutes before freezing them, but this step is optional. Be sure to place them into ice water right away afterward to stop the cooking process.

Why do you blanch green beans before freezing them?

Blanching green beans before freezing them kills any bacteria, and can also help to preserve their color, texture, and flavor. But it’s not required.

Can you freeze raw green beans?

Yes you can freeze raw green beans if you’d like, and this is the quickest way to do it.

Can you freeze cooked green beans?

You can freeze cooked green beans. However, they tend to become a bit mushy and lose some of their flavor when you reheat them.

Is it better to freeze green beans raw or cooked?

It is better to freeze green beans raw or blanch them for the best texture and taste. Fully cooked green beans can become mushy and lose their flavor when you freeze them.

Freezing green beans for later use is simple and quick to do. With just a few simple steps, you’ll have some on hand and ready to use whenever you need them.

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More About Food Preservation

Share your tips for freezing green beans in the comments section below.

Step By Step Instructions