
Green beans are a great spring treat, and if you’ve ever wondered how to freeze green beans with FoodSaver, we’ll give you the rundown below.
Let’s admit it, frozen green beans are a convenient way to get in the veggies, but sometimes store-bought can be a little lackluster.
Freezing green beans with a FoodSaver is a great way to freeze your own, so they meet your preferences every time.
Freezing your fresh green beans is also a fantastic way to preserve them for a long time, and it’s so easy.
You only need to choose a preferred way to prep your green beans, vacuum seal them with your FoodSaver, and enjoy them at a later date!
Preparing Green Beans for Vacuum Sealing
When you’re learning how to freeze fresh green beans with a FoodSaver, there are a few different ways you can prepare them before you seal them.
Each has its benefits and place, so feel free to peruse the options and try out the methods to find your favorite.
My choice is with blanching to keep some extra color, but some think it’s a bit more time-consuming.
How To Get Your Green Beans Ready for Freezing
No matter how you choose to prepare your beans, here are some essential tips to get your green beans ready for freezing.
Wash the Green Beans
When you’re using fresh green beans, you want to wash them before anything else!
Fresh green beans have a higher chance of being contaminated by things in the environment or other people/animals getting in contact.
Tip: A quick rinse will ensure they're safe and long-lasting.
Dry the Green Beans
After you’ve washed them, make sure you dry them out. You can shake the green beans out in a colander and then pat dry with a paper towel, which reduces extra ice forming when you freeze them.
Tip: Skipping this step will add more ice to your green beans once in the freezer.
Process Your Green Beans
Process your green beans by cutting off the tops and discarding beans that aren’t at their prime ripeness or have other issues.
If your beans are overripe before you freeze them, they might not turn out the best. If they’re underripe, you’ll have to eat them that way when you thaw them out.
Checking your green beans is easy. Fresh green beans are bright green, they snap easily and cleanly instead of bending or producing stringy halves, and they won’t have any blemishes or bruises.
Then, cut off the extra stem growth at the top of the beans because this was where the bean connected to the plants. It’s a bit unpleasant to eat.
You can also cut them into smaller bites during this phase before freezing your green beans with FoodSaver.
How To Freeze Green Beans With FoodSaver and Blanching
Blanching green beans is a common practice, and most store-bought frozen and canned green beans undergo the blanching process.
There are a few pros and cons that come with blanching green beans.
Pros:
- The green beans retain a better, greener color.
- The heat may kill off any remaining microorganisms before freezing.
- Blanched green beans are longer lasting.
Cons:
- This West Virginia University study suggests that a small amount of nutrition is lost.
- Blanching requires extra steps.
Step One
Rinse your green beans and pat the beans dry, then trim the top stalks of the beans.
Step Two
Next, prepare a large pot of water to boil. You’ll want to do this in batches if you have a lot of green beans, so don’t worry if you don’t have a pot that can fit them all.
Step Three
While the water is coming to a boil, prepare an ice bath by filling a bowl with cool water and ice.
The green beans will be going from the boiling water to the ice water to shock the beans, blanching them. Blanching is a tried and true preservation technique.
Step Four
Once the water is boiling, lower small batches of green beans using a utensil that can quickly gather and take the beans out.
I’d recommend baskets similar to ones used in frying or slotted paddles.
The beans will be ready to come out in around three minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the color changes slightly to a brighter green.
Step Five
Once they’re done, Immediately remove the beans and place them in the ice water. The ice water prevents overcooking.
Continue this process with your remaining green beans. Add more ice as needed, and wait until the beans are no longer warm.
Step Six
Pat dry your green beans again, and then you’ll be ready to proceed with vacuum sealing and freezing your green beans with a FoodSaver.
All you need to do is pack the green beans in the vacuum seal bags. Make sure they’re not overcrowded or lying on top of each other.
Run the FoodSaver machine to finish sealing the bag and removing all air.
Now, you have frozen green beans that will keep a nice color for 1 to 2 years from your home!
Tip: Ensuring they’re not laying on top of one another allows them to not freeze together.
How To Freeze Green Beans Without Blanching
Don’t want all the hassle of blanching green beans? You can freeze green beans in their raw state, and it’s easy. I’ll admit that this is a common choice when I’m low-energy.
Pros:
- Freezing raw green beans is quick and easy with minimal prep.
- You’ll still have frozen beans that remain good for about a year.
Cons:
- Raw green beans might be a bit uglier than blanched when unfrozen.
Step One
For raw green beans, you’ll start similarly to blanching. You have to rinse your green beans.
You may want to do this more thoroughly since the green beans will not be cooking before freezing.
Step Two
Next, you should pat dry the green beans to reduce excessive moisture freezing in your bag.
Step Three
Then, process the beans by trimming the stalks and removing damaged green beans. To preserve the best quality green beans, you’ll want only the best beans of the bunch.
Step Four
Now it’s time to vacuum seal. All you need is to pack the green beans in a vacuum seal bag, tightly and without the beans overlapping. Press out extra air, and feel free to label the bag.
Run the FoodSaver to seal the bags and remove all air. Your preserved green beans will last up to a year in the freezer.
How To Freeze Cooked Green Beans
Many people don’t realize that you can freeze fully cooked green beans with FoodSaver.
If you’ve already cooked the green beans for a meal but are hesitant to throw them out, this is a great way to give them a few more months.
Pros:
- Avoid wasting extra green beans with a simple freezing method.
Cons:
- The texture will likely be waterier and softer than some other preservation methods.
- Due to their cooked nature, the green beans probably will only last up to 10-12 months, even frozen.
Step One
First, you should make sure your beans completely cool off.
Step Two
Then, pat off any water or moisture from the green beans.
Step Three
When the green beans are dried, begin the process of vacuum sealing. Lay them flatly in FoodSaver vacuum bags. Remove any air from the bag.
Tip: Write the dates on the bags so you know when they were cooked and sealed.
Step Four
Finally, finish vacuum sealing the green beans with your FoodSaver by running the machine to remove all extra air and shrink the bag.
Place the bags in the freezer, and you’ve successfully frozen green beans with FoodSaver.
Enjoy Home Frozen Green Beans
When you first wondered how to freeze green beans with FoodSaver, I’m sure you never thought it’d be this easy.
Freezing green beans at home is a great way to preserve food without worrying about the hassles of food shopping. Plus, it can help you put off grocery shopping for a few more days.
You can freeze raw or cooked green beans with your FoodSaver, making it a versatile option for people who enjoy saving their food.
As long as you follow the above steps, you’ll have delicious green beans on hand that will last.
Using your FoodSaver allows you to enjoy the benefits of freezing your green beans at your convenience!