Freezing Runner Beans

[jeremyjh1]

This is probably a stupid question, but I have a bumper crop of runner beans (my first attempt at growing them), far too many to eat before they ruin.

 

I've been told you can feeze them but I'm not certain if I should remove the beans from the pod or or leave the beans in the the pod and freeze them together.

 

Any advice would be gratefully received.

 

Thanks

[fox20thc]

Cut them up like you would for cooking, blanche them in boiling water and then they are good to freeze

[jeremyjh1]

Cut them up like you would for cooking, blanche them in boiling water and then they are good to freeze

 

 

Thanks - we're all stupid until we find out what we don't know!!

[happylady]

I also freeze them but after blanching for a couple of minutes plunge into cold water to stop them cooking and it helps retain their colour. I've done about 6lb so far.

[Yellowrose]

I used to help my parents do this. Get a wire basket (like a chip pan basket) which will fit in a large pan. Fill pan with water, when water is boiling, plunge wire basket filled with about a pound (or desired portion size) of cut, prepared beans, into boiling water. Time for exactly 2 mins. Have a washing up bowl with cold water and ice cubes in ready. When 2 mins is up remove wire basket from boiling water and plunge into iced water for a couple of minutes. When cooled put in plastic bag and seal. Its a good idea to remove all the air out of the plastic bag. You can do this by putting a straw into the gathered neck of the filled bag and sucking! Then fasten the bag with a wire tie.

 

When you come to eat the frozen beans, just drop them into boiling salted water and cook as desired. Easy!

[jeremyjh1]

Thanks Happylady and yellowrose. Can you believe I had to google 'blanche'? What a dunce I must be!

 

Mind you, a few years ago, I friend at work told me I would get more flowers if I pinched the dead ones. So, I did. I pinched them (like you would, say, pinch a nice lady's bottom [in days gone by...]).

 

Didn't get any new flowers - but you probably guessed that.

 

I didn't understand that 'pinch' meant 'take off their heads'!

 

Ah well, we live and learn..