When preparing fresh vegetables, blanching is your secret weapon for maintaining flavor, color, and texture. Learn how to blanch green beans to use in your favorite salads and sautés and for freezing for later. This simple two-step process is the key to avoiding dull-looking, mushy, overcooked beans.
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Green beans, also known as string beans, can be cooked in a variety of ways. And while some methods like roasting or air frying green beans do not require any advanced preparation, blanching green beans is an easy way to maintain their quality when using them in sauteed dishes and salads.
And the process of quickly scalding the vegetables in boiling water and then shocking them in ice water to stop the cooking process is a must for freezing. The beans will taste just as flavorful as when they were fresh and remain a bright green color with the perfect texture.
Fortunately this cooking technique is incredibly simple to learn. So the next time you're making your favorite vegan green bean recipes like green beans and mushrooms or Mediterranean green bean salad, take the extra few minutes to blanch the green beans first.
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Equipment
You don't need any fancy equipment in order to blanch green beans or any other fresh vegetable. Here's what you'll need:
- Fresh green beans
- A large pot of boiling water
- A large bowl of ice water
- Kitchen tongs
- A timer
Instructions
Prep the washed green beans by removing the tough stems. You can do this by using your hands to snap off the ends, or you can line the beans up on a cutting board and slice the stems off with a knife. This process is called trimming.
It's not necessary to remove the tail end of the beans, but you may choose to do so for aesthetic reasons.
Prepare a large pot of boiling water. You'll need enough to cover the beans. A good rule of thumb is one gallon of water per pound of vegetables.
If you are working with more than one pound of vegetables at a time, it's best to blanch them in batches.
Meanwhile, set aside a large bowl filled with ice cubes and cold water. This will be the ice bath that we use to stop the cooking process.
Carefully add the green beans to the pot of boiling water. Allow them to quickly cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they are tender and bright green. Keep an eye on them and do not walk way from the stove! It's important not to under or overcook the beans.
Immediately use kitchen tongs to transfer the blanched green beans to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Allow them to cool completely, which should take roughly the same amount of time it took to cook them in the boiling water.
Then you can dry them with kitchen towels and prepare them for whatever recipe you are making or for freezing.
Amy's tip
Prefer not to boil your vegetables? You can steam the beans for 5 minutes instead of cooking them directly in the boiling water. Then immediately transfer them to the ice bath.
How to use blanched green beans
Once you're done blanching the green beans, they are ready to eat or use in salads and sautés.
- Enjoy them with an assortment of raw veggies and vegan spinach artichoke dip or green goddess cashew dressing.
- Slice them into bite-size pieces to make green bean salad with cherry tomatoes and cilantro dressing or throw them in your favorite salads.
- Make a simple side dish by sautéing them in a little olive oil and seasoning them with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Turn them into green beans with mushrooms and garlic for a delicious alternative to green bean casserole.
- Use them to make Mediterranean sautéed green beans topped with garlicky tomatoes and pine nuts to enjoy either as a side or tossed with pasta as a main dish.
Storing and freezing
Blanched green beans can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen for 8 to 12 months. To freeze, dry-pack or tray-pack:
- To dry-pack, pack the blanched beans tightly into airtight freezer-safe containers or freezer bags.
- To tray-pack, arrange the blanched beans in a single layer on a sheet pan and place in the freezer. As soon as they are frozen after about an hour, transfer them to a freezer bag or an airtight freezer-safe container.
Blanching FAQs
While not required, if you would like to add extra flavor to your green beans, you can add a little salt to the boiling water when blanching. But if you are using the beans in recipes or preparing them for freezing, you may want to wait and season them later.
As long as you are using enough water for the amount of vegetables you are blanching, it should return to a vigorous boil within a minute of adding the vegetables.
Frozen green beans can be cooked in a pot with a little boiling water, with optional salt, until heated through. You can also add them frozen to soups, stews, and stir-fries and allow to cook.
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Amy
📋 Recipe
How To Blanch Green Beans
Instructions
- Trim the green beans by snapping off the stems. Or, if preferred, line them up on a cutting board and use a knife to slice off the stems. Discard the stems. (It's not necessary to remove the tail ends, but you may if you like.)1 pound green beans
- Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Make sure there is enough water to cover the beans, about a gallon per pound of vegetables.
- Carefully place the beans in the boiling water. Cook the beans for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are bright green. Keep an eye on them to ensure they do not overcook. They should be tender but maintain their crisp texture.
- Immediately transfer the cooked beans to the ice bath using kitchen tongs. Submerge them in the ice water and allow them to rest until completely cool.
- Remove the blanched beans from the ice bath and pat them dry with kitchen towels. Now you can slice them and use them in recipes or refrigerate or freeze them for later.
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Notes
- To dry-pack, pack the blanched beans tightly into airtight freezer-safe containers or freezer bags.
- To tray-pack, arrange the blanched beans in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. As soon as they are frozen after about an hour, transfer them to a freezer bag or an airtight freezer-safe container.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation.
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