Blanching is an easy and quick way to preserve green beans, as well as other fresh vegetables. It helps to keep them crisp and tender, and it also prevents the nutrients and flavors from leeching out of the vegetable.
To prepare your beans for this step, trim the ends and rinse them well under cool running water. Then, place them in a colander.
Salt the Water
While boiling or steaming is a great way to cook green beans, you can also blanch them to preserve their crisp tender texture and vibrant color. The process is simple and quick.
The first step in the process is to salt the water before adding the green beans. Adding salt helps keep flavors and nutrients from seeping out of the cooked beans.
You can add a few tablespoons of salt for every quart of water used to boil the beans. You can also add more than the recommended amount if you want to season your beans evenly.
After adding the beans, bring the water to a rapid boil. Boil the beans until they are bright green and tender crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes.
When done, remove the beans from the boiling water and place them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process immediately. Once they are fully cooled, drain and use them in your favorite recipes!
Fresh green beans are an excellent source of fiber, folate, vitamin C, and thiamine. You can enjoy them as a side dish, or use them to flavor soups and stews. They’re also a good addition to salads.
Place the Beans in the Water
Blanching is a quick cooking technique that produces tender-crisp green beans with vibrant green color. This method also stops enzyme activity that can cause the flavor, texture, and color of fresh vegetables to deteriorate (so they last longer).
To blanche green beans, start by filling a large pot with water. Add a generous amount of salt, about 1 tablespoon for a gallon of water. Bring the water to a boil.
Working in batches, place the green beans into the boiling water and cook until tender-crisp. Depending on the size of your beans, this may take 2 minutes for small beans, 3 minutes for medium beans and 4 minutes for large beans.
When they’re ready, remove them from the boiling water and immediately plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process. This will keep them bright green and preserve their crisp texture.
You can use the cooked green beans right away in recipes or freeze them for future use. If you’re freezing them, make sure to wash and trim the green beans well. Then, stack them in quart-size freezer bags and store them in the freezer for up to 12 months.
Bring the Water to a Boil
Blanching green beans is a simple technique that creates tender-crisp vegetables. It’s ideal for salads or for prepping beans to freeze.
First, you’ll need to bring the water to a boil and salt it. Use about a tablespoon of salt per quart of water.
Once the water comes to a boil, add the green beans and cook them for about two to three minutes. Afterward, immediately place them in a bowl of ice water to “shock” the beans.
This will help stop the cooking process and preserve their bright green color. It’s also a great way to make sure that the beans aren’t overcooked or mushy.
Trimming the green beans is also a breeze. Simply snap or cut off the stem ends of the beans with your hands one at a time. Or line up a few beans and slice off the ends with a sharp knife.
Then, bring the water to a boil again. Repeat the process with the remaining green beans. If you have a lot of beans to process, boil them in batches. You can also steam blanche your beans. This will save you a bit of time and work better for thinner green beans like French green beans.
Remove the Beans from the Boil
Whether you’re boiling for yourself or preserving beans for later use, it’s important to remove the beans from the boiling water before they start to overcook. Doing this will prevent them from becoming mushy and also ensure that you get the most out of your efforts.
To do this, place the beans in a pot of water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. It’s best to use a pot that’s big enough for the amount of beans you’re preparing.
After bringing the water to a boil, remove it from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes. This will allow any excess moisture to evaporate.
Next, drain the beans and rinse them with cool water. Rinsing the beans will help to rid them of any lingering dirt or bacteria.
You can also put them in a colander and pat them dry to make sure all the water has been removed. This will make them easier to store and preserve.
Once the beans have been drained and rinsed, you can pack them into pint or quart jars leaving 1 inch of headspace and attaching two-piece metal lids. This is a great way to preserve your green beans for later use!
Place the Beans in the Ice Water
Blanching green beans is a simple 3 step process that yields bright, crisp, tender green beans. They are perfect for adding to salads or a vegetable tray.
The process is quick but requires care. Do not overcook the beans as it can cause them to lose their crispness and color.
Before bringing the water to a boil, add about a tablespoon of salt per quart of water. This helps bring the beans to life and enhance their flavor, which is especially important if you are using them in a recipe.
When the water comes to a boil, add the beans and cook for two to three minutes. They should be tender but still bright green (taste a bean to assess doneness).
Once the beans have cooked, immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water. This stops the residual heat from cooking them and preserves their bright green color.
This is a great way to prepare green beans for freezing. Blanching green beans prevents enzyme processes that lead to loss of color, texture, and nutrients. They are also much more stable in the freezer than raw green beans.
Drain the Beans
Blanching green beans is an easy way to get them perfectly crisp and tender. It also prevents enzyme processes from destroying their color, flavor, texture and nutrients.
If you want to freeze your blanched green beans, then you’ll need to drain them thoroughly. This process will help them maintain their crispness and freshness for longer periods of time in the freezer.
You can also boil your beans to blanch them but this method requires more attention than microwave blanching and often results in uneven cooking. It’s best to work in batches and use a large pot that can fit all the beans at once.
If you’re using a microwave, follow the same steps as boiling or steaming. However, keep in mind that blanching beans in a microwave takes a little longer than either option.
Cool the Beans
Blanching green beans is a simple cooking technique that can help you achieve a crisp-tender texture and bright green color every time. It also helps keep the beans from getting mushy and losing their flavor and nutrients.
The key is to use the right water. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, you should add about a gallon of water per pound of vegetables.
Once the water comes to a boil, drop in the beans and cook for about 2 minutes, or until they’re tender but still bright green. You can taste one to check the doneness of the beans before you remove them.
After the boiling time is over, immediately transfer the beans to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. This stops the enzymes that can lead to mushy beans and prevents them from becoming too soft or overcooked.
This is a great way to make blanched beans ahead of time and serve them with meals. You can then refrigerate them for up to 3 days, or freeze them in an airtight container for up to 6 months.