Unblanched Frozen Green Beans +
This past summer wasn't a good year for my beans. The green beans came in pretty much a "hand full" at a time. I never did get enough at any one time to be able to put up a whole canner load. I don't personally care for dried green beans so that was out. The only other option I could think of was to go on and freeze them. (I try very hard to can or dehydrate our veggies just in case we ever loose power) There are all sorts of instructions on the web and most call for blanching the beans first. I did, however, find this great article about freezing green beans without blanching them. I figured what the heck I wanted to try it. What I did was simple enough. I trimmed the ends off the beans and "snapped" them. Then I just flash froze them and stuck them in a zip lock baggie when they were done. Flash freezing is just a fancy way of saying I laid the green beans out on a cookie sheet in a single layer and stuck them in the freezer. Once they were frozen I tucked them into a ziplock baggie and tossed them in the freezer. I guess I did it right because I think they taste much better than the frozen green beans from the grocery store. And while I'm not sold on freezing vegetables over canning I figure I have learned something new and we're enjoying homegrown green beans in January. Not to shabby!
This past summer another one of the "new" things I planted was Lemon Basil. Basil's such a pretty plant. When you walk past them you can smell the lemon. It tastes exactly what it's called. Lemon(y) basil. I found that it goes real well with chicken dishes. I'm betting it would be pretty darn good on fish too. I saved a bunch of seed so I can grow this again in the spring. Have you raised Lemon Basil? Any good recipes that you'd like to share?
SCI,
ReplyDeleteFlash freezing vegetables are so much better than those one can purchase at the grocery store.
I have to agree with you, I would rather can or dehydrate my vegetables because if the power goes out your stuff in the freezer won't last long.
I've got some fish that goes good with the lemon basil :-)
We just caught some fresh rainbow trout.
As for making other things, have you tried something like an Asian stir fry with vegetables, or you
could infuse some oil and make a lemon basil oil.
Sandy, Did I hear you say trout. (my mouth's watering) I've not had any fish in what seems like forever. Would you like some of these Lemon Basil seeds? I owe you seed. ;-)
DeleteI'll have to try some in a stir fry. I'll bet its good. Lemon basil oil? Oh man does that sound good. Thanks for the ideas.
YUM. Wish I knew how Sandy fixes her fish.
DeleteShoot, I need to know what time dinner will be ready! I'd even wash the dishes. (You know she lives under 100 miles. Can you say ROAD TRIP!!! ;-)
DeleteSCI,
DeleteThe fish was delish!!! I'm trying to convince Bulldog Man to go again this Sunday to Dolese. It's going to be brutal in the early morning hours 29 degrees, but later in the day it will warm up. We will have to wear our long john underwear, lol..... You have to go to this water site early because it gets busy. ROAD TRIP!!!! Couple of weeks back we went fishing up in the southern Illinois river. We didn't have the right bait and well it got real busy because we ended up getting there late. The initial bridge leading into the river site was closed for construction so we had to back track back to the highway to find another route. We eventually made it there but late, to many people to stay as long as we wanted. Everyone seems to know this is a great place to fish.
Sure I would love some Lemon Basil seeds. Only if you have extra and the time to drop them in the mail.
Sending hugs and love to you and Mars.
Your Friends,
Sandy and Bulldog Man
P.S. Give the pup a scratch behind her ears.
We tried freezing but the flavor was not very good, I have cooked beans as if to serve them and then froze them and they seem to be better as they are frozen in a block of liquid but this is not very efficient. I can them in pints, 1 1/2 pints and quarts to vary the serving size. I also plant different varieties, one being a local pole variety that forms beans inside early so that when you can them you process as if canning the shelled beans but the result has a different flavor than regular green beans. I also grew some flat roma and sliced them lengthwise I guess French style. It is a long winter so variety makes things go a little better.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of canning beans in different size jars! I really need to get more pint jars. Almost all my jars are quart jars. I'm not fussing though since most of them were given to me.
DeleteI just realized I didn't add that the beans were put in the freezer COMPLETELY dry because I didn't want them to turn into a green bean brick.
This has been a really long winter it seems and there's still awhile to go before I can put away the winter clothes and break out the shorts! lol
Haha... greenbean bricks. We have some large chicken bricks 'cuz DH just threw a case from Zaycon foods in the freezer before I got home from work.
DeleteI never heard of "blanching" but I asked my wife and she knew about it. I mostly just buy canned beans of all sorts by the case when they are on sale. Years ago we tried to have a garden, but the deer and the wild hogs destroyed it. I put up an electric fence but the bears tore it down and the hogs went through it like it wasn't there. But so many of my internet friends have big gardens that this spring we are going to try it again.
ReplyDeleteBears? Wild Hogs? Oh MY! Have you thought about maybe trading pork or deer for veggies? Just a thought. I know I'd sure trade some!!
DeleteWild hogs are a big problem in many parts of the country. Did you hear that Texas now allows hunting from the air. I saw a video awhile back that I put up here on the blog somewhere. It looked like awesome fun!
Never tried freezing green beans without blanching - and boy is that a process. As you said the beans come in all at once not matter how I seem to space them. Don't like canned green beans nor dried ones so freezing it is.
ReplyDeleteI love beans of all kinds but just can't do dried green beans. I don't know why....I just don't care for them. I DO like homecanned green beans but the store bought ones just don't have much flavor. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteThank you so much for sharing this! I wish I had found what you did last summer, because our blanched beans weren't very good at all. :-(
ReplyDeleteI know you can do this with onions, bell peppers and tomatoes, so I am very glad to see you can do it with green beans, too. Thank you!
Sadly, I haven't tried any herbs, other than as companion plants (with not such great luck); because my parents never cooked with herbs or spices, so all I know is salt and pepper.
I may plant some just for the smell! :-)
LindaG there is always next year. I've not been growing herbs for very long at all. They are a new venture for me. Next year I'll replant some and try making some potpourri since I noticed that even the dried plants still smelled wonderful.
DeleteFor a number of years now I simply harvest the beens as they come ripe, cut the ends off, slice them into 1" lengths and put em in freezer bags and straight into the old upright freezer in the basement. If I don't get a bag completely full then I top it off next time I harvest more beans.
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul, I had a feeling it could be done that way. I know I do it with my black-eyed peas and it works just fine.
DeleteBlanching, drying and freezing. I haven't been blanching.
ReplyDeleteI pulled some green beans from the freezer tonight and they were surprisingly limp ! So was my sweet red pepper. Would blanching stop that?
I'm no expert but I don't think blanching would help it any. Seems (just thinking out loud here) like it would make it limper? Is that even a word? lolll Sorry, but I'm sure someone here would be happy to answer that one for ya.
DeleteI would NOT skip blanching.
ReplyDeleteBlanching
Blanching (scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short time) is a must for almost all vegetables to be frozen. It stops enzyme actions which can cause loss of flavor, color and texture.
Blanching cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color and helps retard loss of vitamins. It also wilts or softens vegetables and makes them easier to pack.
Blanching time is crucial and varies with the vegetable and size. Underblanching stimulates the activity of enzymes and is worse than no blanching. Overblanching causes loss of flavor, color, vitamins and minerals. Follow recommended blanching times (pages 229-230).
from:
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/blanching.html
Just because that advice not to blanch was on the internet does not mean it was a good idea. I wish it were a good idea!
Linda, thank you for your input. They don't recommend dehydrating your eggs either but I DO it. I suppose I am going to have to put a warning up at the top of this blog. "There are things I do here that folks recommend against."
DeleteI suppose now you will tell me that eating raw green beans from the garden is a no-no?
If it works, do it. You seem to manage just fine without disclaimers. I trust you!
DeleteI wholly approve of dehydrating your eggs. I intend to do the same with mine. I could profit from your experience. I eat raw green beans from the garden.
DeleteActually, I think blanching is based on more science than dehydrating eggs or eating raw green beans. So, I still stand by that.
Have you ever picked the green beans small and thrown them in a salad? I do and love them.
I think that handling home dehydrated eggs like raw eggs is prudent. However, I am not really afraid of the raw eggs from my hens.
Now, I will look for your instructions on dehydrating eggs.
I love your blog.
An interesting post. Good luck to you.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.
Thanks for stopping by Andrew. Don't be a stranger.
Deleteblanching a vegetable that is going to be going into freezer or dehydrated is important-for color as well as killing enzymes...i am not crazy about any frozen green beans but i did find that most store bought frozen beans need to be cooked a whole lot longer than recommended on the packaging as well as adding a bit of meat or fatback to it too. upon discovering this, i froze some greenbeans last year after blanching and flash freezing...when getting ready to cook them, i add a bit of chopped ham or bacon and a little onion to the mix...and then cook them to a boil and then simmer over low flame (or crockpot) until tender. on the stovetop this can take a good thirty minutes... they are good with a little diced tomato thrown in too while cooking.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Now I'm craving green beans.
DeleteI love beans! Dried or other. So, they can be frozen without blanching. Good to know I'll add that to my list. Were you aware that tomatoes and spinach can be frozen without blanching? Yes, you probably already knew that. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Sue,
DeleteI did know about the tomato's but not the spinach. Thanks!!
You are welcome. I tried it for the first time this year and have been adding it to my morning smoothie. It's fine! Still nice and green. :-)
DeleteI prefer my basil straight and green-nothing added.
ReplyDelete