Can You Freeze String Beans? How?

If you are looking to freeze string beans or green beans, here is the most comprehensive guide to help you out. 

These methods and tips have worked like a charm for several home cooks and me. 

So, here is how you can go about it. 

How to Freeze String Beans?

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

This is the best way to keep the texture and color of the string beans intact all year long in the freezer.

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Materials

• String Beans
• Boiling Water
• Ice Bath
• Paper Towel
• Baking Sheet

Tools

• Parchment Paper
• Freezer-Safe Air-Tight Container or Ziploc Bags

Instructions

1. Clean and Prep: Thoroughly wash and clean the string beans and trim their edges. Then cut them into pieces that you prefer to use in your recipes.
   
   
2. Blanch: Put the cut string beans into a pot of boiling water and blanch it for 2 to 4 minutes depending on the size of the beans. You could add a pinch of salt to the pot. Then transfer the beans into an ice bath to stop further cooking.
   
   
3. Dry: Using some paper towels thoroughly dry the string beans.
   
   
4. Lay Out: Spread the string beans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure that the beans aren’t clumped together and are evenly spaced.
   
   
5. Flash Freeze: Leave the tray in the freezer for a couple of hours or overnight and let the string beans freeze solid.
   
   
6. Pack and Seal: Transfer the frozen string beans into a freezer-safe air-tight container or Ziploc bag and seal them in. Squeeze out all the excess air before sealing a Ziploc bag. You can use a straw to make this step easier.
   
   
7. Label and Freeze: Add a label on the container or the bag with the best before date, and you are good to go.
   
   Here is a video by “Better Homes and Gardens” on YouTube to show you how it is done -

Freezing String Beans without Blanching Them

If you want a quick and simple method to freeze the string beans, you can try following these steps instead.

Clean and Prep

Wash and clean the string beans, getting rid of any bruised or damaged ones. Then trim the edges and then cut them into smaller pieces that you usually like to cook with. 

Dry

Thoroughly dry the string beans with some paper towel or by putting them in the salad spinner. 

Flash Freeze

If you want to avoid a solid block of frozen string beans, you could lay the dry beans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flash freeze them for a couple of hours or overnight.

Pack and Seal

Transfer the string beans into a Ziploc bag and seal them in. Make sure to squeeze out all the excess air in the bags before you seal them. You can use a straw to suck all the air out. 

Label and Freeze

Add a label on the bag with the best before date, and you are all set to freeze the string beans till you are ready to use them. 

Check out this video tutorial by “An Oregon Cottage” on YouTube to see how it is done – 

How to Freeze Cooked String Beans? 

You could freeze cooked string beans in a dish for a couple of months after these simple steps.

Cook and Cool

Once you cook the dish and take out the portion you plan to eat that day, allow it to cool down to room temperature. 

Portion

Divide the cooked string beans into portions that you can easily manage to eat in one sitting. 

Pack and Seal

Transfer the portioned string beans into a freezer-safe air-tight container and then seal them in. 

Label and Freeze

Add a label on the container with the best before date, and you can freeze the cooked beans for the long term. 

How Long Can You Freeze String Beans? 

You can freeze string beans for 8 to 12 months. Though you can freeze for this long or even more, it is best to consume it sooner rather than later to get the most out of its taste, texture, and quality.

The string beans last fresh for longer in the freezer if you prep and freeze them as soon as you have bought or harvested them.

Also, blanched string beans will retain their texture and color for much longer than string beans that weren’t blanched beforehand. 

How to Store Frozen String Beans? 

You can store frozen string beans in any freezer-safe air-tight container or Ziploc bag. The key is to make sure that the beans are thoroughly covered and protected from being exposed to air or freezer burns. 

If you are pressed for freezer space and have a huge batch of string beans to freeze, it would be best to opt for Ziploc bags over chunky freezer-safe containers.

You can portion and pack the string beans into flat bags that you can stack over each other and store compactly. 

How to Defrost String Beans? 

You can use the string beans right out of the freezer if you plan to cook with them. They might take a couple of extra minutes to cook, but it will taste just as good as fresh beans once cooked.

If you wish to thaw the string beans, you could leave the portion you need in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight and let it thaw slowly.

But keep in mind that the string beans can get a little soggy and limp once it thaws and might change a little in taste.

Can You Refreeze String Beans? 

Although you can refreeze string beans, it is best advised not to. The repeated freezing and thawing will make the string beans get mushy and soggy.

It will not only become unappealing in taste and texture; refreezing can also increase the chances of the string beans spoiling due to bacterial buildup.

To avoid having to refreeze the string beans once it thaws, portion them beforehand into small measures that you can eat in one go.

You could also flash freeze them before packing them so that you can pull out a handful without having to thaw a big batch. 

Do String Beans Freeze Well? 

Yes, string beans freeze well and is a great way to make the vegetable last all year long and keep it in stock. Although it might not taste great raw, it works as good as fresh string beans once it is cooked. 

The string beans freeze well whether it is blanched or not. But if you want it to have a vibrant color and more crispy texture, it is better to blanch it before freezing. 

You could also freeze cooked string beans, but they can get water and soggy once it thaws, so it is best to avoid freezing cooked string beans for long.

Bottom Line 

I hope this article helped you freeze and store string beans for the long term. 

If you have any doubts or would like to share some freezing hacks of your own, it would be great to hear from you. 

Feel free to share this article with your friends and loved ones to give them a helping hand in the kitchen.