Runner Beans - Freezing


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I am about to freeze a load of runner beans. Some are saying I should blanch for 3 mins some are saying 2 mins. Which is best and is it that critical?

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I used to blanch mine, but I don't bother any more. I find that blanching affects the texture too much. Just the freezing affects the texture of the beans a bit, so I have found that just washing and drying then prepping carefully is all that's needed. 

I either just shake them dry or use a teatowel.  Any kind of fabric with a pile on it will stick to your beans and make them fluffy!

 

Then straight into a freezer bag, squeeze as much air out as poss.. then straight into the freezer.  They last well into the following spring or longer. and will keep more of their original texture and flavour.

 

Another point is that if you blanch them, they will all stick together in the freezer, so you basically have to make sure to freeze exactly what you want per meal.

 

On the other hand.. my brother, who is a fussy eater, doesn't much like frozen beans however they are done.. but that's just him.  You could try blanching some and doing others unblanched.  Make sure you label correctly and see what you think of the result with your Christmas dinner or whenever.

 

Good luck!

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Yes. Seems that a lot is down to preference.  I had intended putting them into meals size bags to freeze so I can't see that is a problem with them sticking together.

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I wash & chop my beans, then blanch them for 3 or 4 minutes, dry on a clean (non fluffy!) tea towel and spread them separately on a metal tray which I put in the freezer.  After a couple of hours they can be prised off with a fish slice and put into bags or small containers.

I always try and pick my beans before they get too long and full of beans!!!  (Except for half a dozen which I leave on the plant until the pods are brown - I use the beans inside for next year.)

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Trouble is we only have a standard upright fridge freezer..which rarely has much space in it. So I just bag them up and stuff them anywhere I can.

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Yes its always a problem just when you need the space. We gave our upright to my son and bought a 1.50 x 60 chest freezer. 

We bulk buy a lot of fresh meat from wholesalers and as we are in the country its not always convenient to nip down to the shops.  So really its been a godsend for us and if my son or daughter need space the lid is always open for them or should I say for their excess food. 

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  • 10 months later...

I am experimenting with runner beans this year - attempting to create a 'bean tree'. 

An upside down wigwam has been made in a large half barrel. 5 of the beans have reached the tops of the 6 x 2m canes. Hopefully the other one will catch up.

The idea is to have a circular canophy of beans hanging from the spread out canes. Several visitors to our open garden took photo's, thinking it was a good idea. 

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Don’t blanch them, they go soggy, just top n tail em and then chop em and freeze. Less time, more tasty. Same applies to French beans. Am having a lot of bother with blackfly on my beans this year, whatever we all try on the allotment with different remedies for spraying they are coming back. There are some ladybirds around but not enough.

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Y'all making me miss our allotment we had when living in Surrey. 3 pounds a year to rent it. 1 stand pipe for all the allotments so had to carry the water. We planted runner beans as well as other things, but the beans did the best. We would traipse down to the allotment every evening with the 3 kids. Pull weeds, pick beans, then back home to freeze them. We had a chest freezer and filled it each summer to last all year.

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Katyjay, Allotments in Surrey? You do surprise me. I didn't think they had anything as common as allotments. I thought everybody had an estate.

We still have to curtsey when passing through.   B. :rolleyes:

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Runner beans and french beans are nice when fresh , frozen they do seem to lose a bit but who cares in the winter when you cant find them . They aer available . In the summer when theres plenty of fresh veg I preserve them. I start with tomatoes and add every 15 minutes celery, carrots,onions, beans, green/ red peppers. and any other veg thats at hand. Cook everything until tender and lastly add a bit of sugar ,a glass of vinegar and a glass of olive oil. Before I preserve it I add a pkt of salicylic acid( im cooking 5 kg tomatoes at a time) These last me during the winter and last year I made 3 times the recipe and I have loads still. Its good as a light meal with tuna or a couple of boiled eggs and some crusty bread. In fact I have an opened jar in the fridge now. Good too as a starter.

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A lot of baby beans appeared in the last few days - French and runners. Will start picking when half grown next week.Hoping that a few tomatoes start to ripen as well. Loads of courgettes for 2 weeks and some being roasted with other veg as I type :happy:i

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  • 4 weeks later...

Or even cabbage whites :Shock:

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