Can You Freeze Borlotti Beans?

How to Freeze Borlotti Beans

You do have some options when it comes to freezing your borlotti beans. If you prefer, you could dry or pickle them instead, but this does take time, effort and it is far easier to store them in the freezer. 

You can either freeze the beans whole or blend them into a puree first. Which method you choose will depend on how you prefer to use your beans when you cook with them.

How to Freeze Borlotti Beans

If you want to use borlotti beans whole in your cooking, then this is the method to use: 

1. Check Beans
   The first step to take is to sort through your beans. Pick out the best quality beans that are free from damage or blemishes. Next, wash and drain your beans.
2. Blanch
   You need to blanch the beans before freezing, grab a large saucepan, and start some water boiling. While the water is heating up, prepare some ice water. You can either put some ice cubes into a bowl or put a bowl of water in the fridge to cool. When the water is boiling, you can put the beans into it. Let them boil for a couple of minutes, then take them out and immediately plunge them into the ice water to halt the cooking process.
3. Drain and Dry
   Leave the beans in the ice water until they are cool. Drain and dry the beans.
4. Portion Out
   Pop the beans into freezer-safe containers or freezer bags. It is worth dividing them into portions and freezing the portions separately. This makes it much easier to grab out the exact amount needed at a later date.
5. Label
   Label the bags or containers with the date and contents and then seal tightly.
6. Freeze
   Put the beans into the freezer.

How to Freeze Borlotti Bean Puree

Sometimes, you may decide you want borlotti beans pureed. This is a great way to thicken soups, stews and pasta sauces without using cornflour: 

1. Cool
   Cook your beans and allow them to cool completely.
2. Puree
   Puree the beans in a blender with your favourite seasonings and flavours.
3. Portion Out
   Put the puree into suitably sized containers or freezer bags. You will need to leave a little gap at the top for the puree to expand as it freezes.
4. Seal, Label and Freeze
   Seal tightly and label with the contents and date. Put the puree into the freezer.

2 Tips for Freezing Borlotti Beans

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 2 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing borlotti beans to have the best results:

• Try Using an Ice Cube Tray – If you are freezing bean puree, you could also use the ice cube tray method. This is where you put some puree into the sections of an ice cube tray and freeze. You can then transfer the frozen cubes into a freezer bag to easily store them. This allows you to grab out small portions of borlotti beans at a time.
• Protect – You want to keep your borlotti beans as airtight as possible while in the freezer. It is the air in the freezer that can give food that stale freezer burnt taste, and to avoid this, you need to keep your beans sealed tightly and protected. Always squeeze out as much air as possible from freezer bags to help avoid this.

How Long Can You Freeze Borlotti Beans?

You can freeze your borlotti beans for up to six months at a time. This is the same if you puree them or freeze them whole – plenty of time to use up any excess cans or fresh beans that you have.

You Can Freeze Borlotti Beans for up to 6 Months

How Do You Defrost Borlotti Beans?

Defrosting your borlotti beans is pretty easy. Just take them out of the freezer and then pop them into the fridge and allow them to thaw out slowly.

If you are planning to cook your beans immediately, then you can defrost them in the microwave but be careful because this will also heat the beans, which doesn’t work well if you plan to keep them for later in the day.

Can You Refreeze Borlotti Beans?

We would not recommend that you don’t try and refreeze your borlotti beans. They freeze well the first time, but freezing is always a harsh treatment and can spoil or degrade the food.

In addition to this, there is always the risk that you could end up degrading the beans to the point where they could make you sick.

Do Borlotti Beans Freeze Well?

Beans, in general, do freeze well as long as you make sure they are protected from the air and sealed tightly. Borlotti beans are the same and do freeze very well for a long time.

You shouldn’t notice too much of a difference between fresh and frozen borlotti beans.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing borlotti beans or borlotti beans in general, then these may help:

Can You Freeze Other Beans?

Whether it’s black beans, pinto beans or refried beans, there is a range of beans and pulses that can be frozen in the same way as freezing borlotti beans. 

Can You Freeze Borlotti Bean Salad?

If you have made a borlotti bean salad and dressed it with herbs and seasoning, then you can freeze it but be prepared for the texture to change. The longer you leave it in the freezer, the greater this change in texture will be.