How To Blanch Green Beans

Fresh green beans blanching in a pot of simmering water.

Blanching green beans is a simple way to preserve color and crunch before adding them to salads and sautés and for freezing.

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Total Time10

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Special diet: gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, soy-free, vegan

Servings:

Calories: 35kcal

Author: Amy Katz

Ingredients

1 pound green beans washed

US Customary - Metric

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.

Notes

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 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.

If you are working with more than one pound of vegetables at a time, it's best to blanch them in batches.

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.

Nutrition