Have a huge crop of beans. Have frozen heaps, began with blanching first before freezing. When I cooked them they were inedible - chewy, floppy and watery. Did a google then froze some un-blanched hoping they would be better. They aren't! Thought I might be over-cooking them, but it doesn't matter if they are in boiling water for 1 min or 5 mins, they are still inedible. Real disappointment. Does anyone have any ideas please on how to cook them so they are edible.?
harrislucinda,
Jan 12, 7:40pm
what about steaming
lilyfield,
Jan 12, 7:58pm
always freeze them whole, when cut they absorb water inside, which makes them 'floppy" and do not top and tail either. which injures them. You can eat the tops and tails, not the stems attached tho do not over cook,.2min. at most
sunflower18,
Jan 12, 8:06pm
Ahh, maybe that is where I have gone wrong. I have frozen them whole but did top and tail them. Will give steaming a try.
katalin2,
Jan 12, 8:16pm
I cut them into diagonals after topping and tailing, taking side threads off ( scarlet runners) and briefly blanching, they are still bright green. Then freeze them, they are fine during the year.
beaker59,
Jan 12, 8:39pm
Sounds to me like you are picking them too late. Pick when still young and tender. What are they like fresh?
Those look well matured I would pick younger for freezing.
joybells2,
Jan 12, 10:44pm
If they are tough you are leaving them on the bush too long, we always pick them when they are young. I top and tail and cut, wash and freeze - never blanch them and they are fine.
jia5,
Jan 12, 10:48pm
As beaker59 says, too old!
sunflower18,
Jan 13, 12:33am
Thank you everyone!
lythande1,
Jan 13, 12:35am
No, sounds to me like the freezing process didn't go well. That' exactly how frozen stuff goes when it either thawed and refroze or froze too slowly.
You did cool them in ice water thoroughly first? Then extract all the air from the bags?
buzzy110,
Jan 13, 2:08am
Ditto to those two questions.
sunflower18,
Jan 13, 2:13am
When I blanched some, yip, straight into water with ice cubes then zip lock bag with air removed. I thought maybe I had blanched them for too long, that is why I tried freezing them just raw, but didn't make any difference. Just another thought, do you need to make sure they are thoroughly dried off after blanching, before freezing maybe?
sunflower18,
Jan 13, 2:14am
Thanks for your input. They aren't tough, they are all rubbery and watery!
buzzy110,
Jan 13, 2:43am
It is a bit of a dilemma you have. I do know, that despite others singing the praises of freezing vegetables in here, that the resultant product is never as nice as fresh. I think that even factory processed frozen vegetables, with the exception of peas, are really naff in terms of taste and texture and I squirm with mild disgust every time I read someone recommending using mixed frozen vegetables.
When I freeze beans I usually use my vacuum packer and I only put them in soups and stews or dishes where the contents are pureed. This helps mask what I think of as "not the best I've ever tasted" but lets me have them in a meals anyway.
beaker59,
Jan 14, 3:08am
Have to agree buzzy about frozen beans they have to be very young and processed perfectly to be reasonable when frozen otherwise just eat them fresh. The exception being some varieties of climbing beans like scarlet runners if picked young which can freeze very well.
sla11,
Jan 15, 5:28am
We grow Scarlet Runners which I freeze as always huge crop. I cut them up, quick blanch, into freezer. Use them as basis for stews, soups etc winter. Saves thickening anything much and must have goodness!
pickles7,
May 11, 1:15am
I am dehydrating my surplus this year. We did not use all I froze last year. The dehydrated beans we don't use over winter, will last forever. I did a pile of capsicums, and am most impressed with them.
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