Freezing Fresh Snap Beans: A Simple Guide

As summer winds down you may find yourself with a surplus of fresh snap beans from your garden or local farm stand. These tender green beans are delicious when fresh but their season is fleeting. Freezing is an easy way to preserve your bountiful harvest so you can enjoy snappy green beans year-round.

Why Freeze Fresh Snap Beans?

Freezing green beans enables you to

Preserve fresh flavor at peak ripeness
Store beans for 9-12 months
Add beans to meals anytime without going to the store
Reduce food waste by saving excess beans

Fresh snap beans only last about one week when refrigerated. Freezing them retains brightness, texture and nutrient content much longer.

Harvesting and Prepping Beans for Freezing

Choose tender, slender green beans without bulges or bruises. Harvest in the morning when beans are crisp. Then:

Rinse beans and pat dry
Snap off stem and tip ends
Leave beans whole or cut into pieces
Blanch 2-3 minutes until bright green
Shock in ice water to stop cooking
Drain and pat completely dry

Blanching halts enzyme activity to preserve color texture and flavor. Shocking in ice water prevents overcooking. Remove all moisture to prevent freezer burn.

How to Freeze Beans

Individually – Lay beans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze 1-2 hours until firm. Transfer to freezer bags. Makes it easy to remove portions.

In Batches – Portion beans into labeled freezer bags in quantities you’ll use. Flatten bags to freeze into a slab.

Vacuum Sealed – For maximum freshness, vacuum seal bags before freezing. Expels excess air and moisture.

Don’t Overcrowd – Only fill bags halfway and freeze flat. Overcrowding causes beans to freeze into a solid clump.

Frozen Storage Time

Properly frozen green beans maintain optimum quality for:

Freezer Bag: 9-12 months
Vacuum Sealed: 12+ months

Store at 0°F or below. Check bags for freezer burn or ice crystals, which indicate moisture loss. Discard if beans show signs of degradation.

Thawing and Using Frozen Beans

Thaw frozen beans:

In fridge overnight
In microwave on defrost setting
In bowl of cool water, changing water periodically

Once thawed, use beans immediately. frozen beans work great in most cooked dishes like soups, casseroles, sautés and more. Their texture stands up well to reheating.

Freezing Other Fresh Bean Varieties

While green beans are most common, other fresh bean varieties can be frozen too:

Yellow wax beans
Purple beans
Romano beans
Flat Italian beans
Snap peas
Lima beans
Fava beans

Follow the same harvesting, blanching and freezing methods. Adjust cooking times as needed for thicker beans.

Enjoy Farm-Fresh Flavor Year-Round

When summer winds down, make sure to freeze some of your fresh green bean bounty. With proper freezing techniques, you’ll have bright green, tender beans to enjoy for months on end. Just remember to defrost and use within a year for best quality.

can you freeze fresh snap beans

Can I Freeze Raw Green Beans or Do I Need to Blanch Them?

First of all: freeze green beans that are as fresh as possible. Check to see if there are any deep scars on the skin that could mean they are starting to go bad. Trim the beans before you freeze them to make getting them ready to cook much easier and faster.

It’s tempting to skip blanching vegetables before freezing them, but you must do so if you want the food to keep its best qualities. Blanching isn’t just an extra step that wastes time; it kills enzymes that change the color, taste, and texture of frozen vegetables. The process also cleans dirt and impurities from the surface of vegetables and slows the loss of nutrients.

You can freeze green beans that are still raw, but they might be mushy and tasteless when you cook them. When you trim and freeze beans to store them for a long time, it’s worth the extra work to blanch them too.

can you freeze fresh snap beans

Do Frozen Green Beans Need to Be Thawed Before Using?

It all depends on the recipe. If your recipe calls for you to thaw them, then definitely do so. Otherwise, it’s not required. This is especially true when adding them to vegetable soup, curry, or chickpea stews. You can simply add them straight from the freezer bag.

This is another reason why it’s helpful to know what size green beans you will use most before you freeze them. Having ready-cut green beans right out of the freezer makes cooking so much easier.

How to Freeze Green Beans~Blanching vs. NOT Blanching Comparison!

FAQ

Is it better to freeze green beans raw or cooked?

Use fresh green beans for the best flavor and texture. Make sure to blanch the green beans before freezing to preserve their quality. Dry the green beans thoroughly before packaging and freezing.

Do snap beans need to be blanched before freezing?

Tips for Freezing Green Beans After freezing, the raw beans will be mushy in texture and flavorless. For the best results, don’t skip the blanching process when freezing green beans. Dry the beans thoroughly before freezing. This will help avoid clumps and excess moisture.

Can you freeze fresh green beans without blanching?

There’s no need to blanch green beans before freezing them. I tested it both ways, out of curiosity, and I actually prefer the beans that were frozen without any sort of cooking first. To freeze green beans, all you have to do is cut them, then arrange them in a single layer on a pan lined with parchment paper.

Can you freeze freshly picked beans?

You can freeze raw green beans, but there is a greater chance that when you cook with them, they will be mushy with less flavor. If you are going to go to the work of trimming and freezing beans for long term storage, it’s worth it to blanch them, too.