String beans are a firm favourite when they are in season, and if you are growing these veggies in your garden, then you probably find you can keep harvesting them for weeks. You canāt possibly eat them all so what do you do?
Can You Freeze String Beans?
Yes, you can freeze string beans for up to 8 months. You do have to prepare and blanch them beforehand, but they do freeze well and stay fresh tasting.
Do Do String Beans freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze String Beans? No
How to Freeze String Beans
Freezing string beans is relatively easy, but there is some preparation work to do upfront. This is to blanch the beans first because if you try and freeze them raw, they may spoil in the freezer and not end up tasting quite as good.
Luckily, once you get the blanching process worked out, itās easy to do, and you can freeze lots of vegetables that would usually spoil in the freezer the same way:
- Prepare Beans: Trim and cut your beans. You can cut them into smaller pieces to make them easier to use later. As you trim the beans, throw out any that show any signs of damage or spoiling.
- Wash: Wash the beans in cool water and let them drain.
- Prepare for Blanching: You need a saucepan of boiling water, a way to drain the beans and some ice water. To make the ice water, you can either put a bowl of water in the fridge to cool or pop some ice cubes into a bowl of water.
- Boil Water: Pop the saucepan of water on to boil and ensure your ice water and equipment are nearby because you will need to move pretty quickly once the beans are boiling.
- Blanch Beans: When boiling, put the string beans into the water and bring them back to a boil for about two to four minutes.
- Cool: Once the time is up, you need to take the string beans out of the boiling water and plunge them immediately into the ice water and leave them until they are cooled. This halts the cooking process and ensures your beans are only par-cooked and not thoroughly cooked.
- Drain: Drain the beans from the water and allow them to dry.
- Freeze: Next, grab a baking sheet or flat freezer-safe dish. Put some parchment paper onto it, and then pour the string beans. Make sure there is only a single layer of beans, and then put this into the freezer for about an hour.
- Bag Up: Once the string beans are frozen, you can take them out of the freezer and transfer them into a freezer bag. Doing this extra step of freezing on a baking tray first allows you to take out a portion of the string beans at a time and avoid them freezing together in a big clump.
- Freeze: Label the bag with the date and contents and pop the bag into the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing String Beans
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing string beans to have the best results:
Keep Them Airtight
When you are freezing your string beans, you want to keep them as airtight as possible so squeeze out the air before you pop the freezer bag into the freezer.
Consider Use
When cutting your beans, think about how you plan to use them. If you like to use them in smaller pieces for soups and stews, then cut them up this way before freezing. If you prefer to keep your string beans whole for stir fry and side dishes, then do this.
The Fresher, The Better
If you plan on freezing beans, try to freeze them as soon as you pick them. The fresher they are, when you freeze, the fresher they will taste when you thaw them out and cook them.
How Long Can You Freeze String Beans?
String beans keep safely in the freezer for a fairly long time.
Great news for ensuring you always have access to delicious green beans. You can freeze them for up to eight months before they need to be used.
Fresh string beans will last for around 7 days in the fridge. After this, they will become limp and will lose their bright colour.
How Do You Defrost String Beans?
When it comes to cooking your string beans, you might be able to cook them from frozen. Just pop them into your recipe and cook them as you normally would. This works for stir fry, soups, stews, or even steaming your strong beans for a side dish!
If you do need to defrost the beans, then the best way to do this is to pop them into a bowl and put them into the fridge to thaw them out slowly overnight. This can make the beans a little mushy, so you might prefer to use them right from frozen.
Can You Refreeze String Beans?
We would not recommend that you refreeze string beans.
Unfortunately, they may become too degraded to be tasty, and it isnāt worth the risk to your food or your health.
Do String Beans Freeze Well?
As long as you follow the method outlined in this article, then yes, string beans do freeze very well.
If you notice any change at all, it will be minimal and is most likely to be a change in texture rather than taste. They are still delicious whether you eat them frozen or fresh.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing string beans or beans in general, then these may help:
Although it is possible to freeze them without blanching them, you will find that their texture, flavour and appearance change negatively.
