I have found that when I freeze beans from the garden they don't taste like fresh ones ( to be expected) nor do they taste like frozen from supermarket.When I cook them I throw them into boiling water bring back to boil and after a couple of minutes drain water and put them into a fresh lot of water and finish cooking them, that seems to take some of that strong flavour away but still not as good as I would like.Can someone tell me how to get them really tasty either in the freezing process or the cooking?
cookessentials,
Dec 29, 2:50pm
You are cooking them too long. You only need blanch them by preapring and then into boiling water for about 1 minute, then drain and plunge into very cold or iced water ( this stops the cooking process)
uli,
Dec 29, 3:35pm
Frozen beans are never the same as fresh ones - even with blanching and all you can do. So I am not freezing them at all now. I just eat them. If it is bean season I have beans in 30 different variations every day until they are all eaten.
terraalba,
Dec 29, 3:43pm
Do you have a been shredder? I find that makes a lot of difference to the texture of home frozen beans. I agree with the poster who suggested you are cooking them too long. If you used a bean shredder the time they are exposed to hot water and cooking is even less.
cookessentials,
Dec 29, 5:00pm
If you blanch them, they will be fine. Not everyone wants to eat all their beans in one go! and it is always nice to have them for later in the year when they are not growing in your garden.
gardie,
Dec 29, 5:16pm
I use a bean slicer - one of the old fashion spongs ones and then put them into small freezer bags and freeze them.No blanching needed.I then stir fry them from frozen and I don't think that you can taste the difference.Just a spoonful of oil and then keep them moving in the pan.Salt when cooked.
beaker59,
Dec 29, 5:22pm
Haven't seen one of those since I was a kid (quite some time back) my grandparents had and used one you turned a handle and fed the beans in one at a time it removed the string from either side and cut into pieces and was extrordinarily fast grandma bottled the beans in glass jars she had a shed full of bottles of fruit and all kinds of veg before winter set in she also made pickles and sourkraut and dried meat and smoked fish. No one in her family ever starved mind you she looked after a massive family through the depression so i guess you just had too.
cookessentials,
Dec 29, 5:42pm
we get those from the USA, they clamp to the bench or table.
rai5,
Dec 29, 6:39pm
I just cut them up and freeze them uncooked. They still don't taste as yummy as fresh ones, but better than supermarket frozen ones.
cookessentials,
Dec 29, 6:44pm
so great to see such happy posters.
cookessentials,
Dec 29, 6:46pm
All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes and bacteria that, over time, break down the destroy nutrients and change the colour, flavour and texture of food during frozen storage. Green beans require a brief heat treatment, called blanching, in boiling water or steam, to destroy the enzymes before freezing. Blanching times for beans is 3 minutes (the duration should be just long enough to stop the action of the enzymes and kill the bacteria).
uli,
Dec 29, 10:52pm
... and so great to see such happy advertisers :)
cookessentials,
Dec 29, 11:05pm
shame you have no Christmas Spirit...how sad.
cookessentials,
Dec 29, 11:08pm
"Spong" was the old brand of bean slicer...you occasionally find them on Trademe
uli,
Dec 30, 1:38am
Blind? otherwise post #8 maybe?
eljayv,
Dec 30, 1:49am
So when I blanch them do I time them from when I plunge them into the boiling water or wait till it comes to the boil again, because if you are doing a quantity it can take a while.
cookessentials,
Dec 30, 12:13pm
no, not blind at all, still see no advertisement, but perhaps you can give some tips, you know, like a roundabout sort of way to direct people to my website by Googling low carb cooking in style? oops, no, sorry thats the one YOU trot out at regular intervals LOL. Lets hope that in the new year, you are alot friendlier on the boards or would that we too much to ask? Oh well, one can dream. Now, the subject here was freezing beans and bean slicers, lets stick to the subject. Do you have anything else to offer in regards to freezing beans or bean slicers?
cookessentials,
Dec 30, 12:16pm
I would do them in batches eljayv and just fill your sink or a very large bowl with icy water and blanch and dunk in lots. Once you plunge them into the icy water, the cooking process will stop. Just put them into a container and then when they are all done, bag them, take the air out/vacuum seal and freeze.
eljayv,
Dec 30, 1:54pm
Okay I will do a few that way and see if they taste any better thanks for the advice cookessentials.I have tried various ways in the past. I too hope the postings can remain friendly this year.I avoid some topics because certain posters are there pushing their opinions in an aggressive "I know more and better than anyone" way.
cookessentials,
Dec 30, 2:24pm
Happy New Year to you eljayv...let us know how you get on.
uli,
Dec 30, 5:55pm
Cooks - just clear this up: If I recommend someone who wants to go on a low carb diet to check out a website which has low carb recipes then that means that person can find out if that is a lifestyle they would like or not like.
It also serves the purpose that you and your cronies will not have to be "bothered" with threads on "your recipe board" here that have the title of "low carb" or similar. So you can carry on with essential recipe threads like "circle of friends" or "Christchurch is being shaken again ..."
Now if beaker writes "Haven't seen (a bean shredder) since I was a kid - and YOU say: "we get those from the USA, they clamp to the bench or table." cookessentials (1135 )12:42 pm, Thu 30 Dec #8
then that is blatant advertising of something you make money with. And you know that TM does not condone that. While I cannot give a rats arss if you do so - please do not play holier than though in the process.
I make no money at all with anything I talk about on these boards - while if I could be bothered I could most likely find 20 or more threads where you furthered your income with little hints and tips here.
So if you want to have a happy 2011 - and a "nice and friendly" message board here - why not start with obeying the rules as everybody else does?
To all the others who are having problems with people "pushing their opinions in an aggressive "I know more and better than anyone" way...." - good luck to you in the New Year too :)
pickles7,
Dec 30, 6:58pm
Suttle , I say. uli. I used to slice the beans and put them in meal size lots. Give then 2 or 3 minutes in the microwave. Take the bag out and tie a knot, then put the bag into ice cold water. That way the bags suck in on the beans excluding all air. You need to wear gloves to push out the air before tying if you cannot handle the heat. They will never be as good as fresh. I now give the excess away, after finding we had them over from one year to the next. We prefer frozen, peas.
cookessentials,
Dec 30, 7:23pm
Quote uli "then that is blatant advertising of something you make money with. And you know that TM does not condone that. While I cannot give a rats arss if you do so - please do not play holier than though in the process." now now, swearing is also not alloowed on the boards, you of all people should be well aware of this, seeing as you "seem" to know the rules and all. IF I was blatantly advertising as you call it, I would have actually advertised the item with a price and a link to the auction. Info to a site that one belongs to that "buys,sells and swaps" is actually alot different to one which just gives info methinks, or do you not make money out of items there that could be sold on Trademe?!! but then there is always a different set of rulesfor you of course. So now that we have "cleared that up" we can carry on with the thread...so any other tips on beans then?
uli,
Dec 30, 8:33pm
Do enlighten me - WHAT are you talking about here?
cookessentials,
Dec 30, 8:35pm
dont play thick
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.