In message , Ed
writes
On 07/08/08 12:13, Gordon H wrote:
I will not disclose whose method I used yesterday to freeze the first
1lb of beans. :-)

Gordon,

Try different methods for each batch n so keep everyone happy! Then
let us know if there were any significant differences. I bet there
won't be much between them!

Ed
I won't take that bet! I sliced them into 1/2" wide diagonals,
split them into two, steamed one half for 3 minutes, dropped the other
half into boiling water for 2 minutes, laid them out on a tea towel and
dried them, spread them on two baking trays until frozen them sorted
them into labelled plastic bags.

To remove air from the bags I used my own patent method of inserting a
drinking straw into a corner of the zip-bag, and sucking the air out as
I closed the last bit of the zip.

Note: If you have a heavy cold take care not to sneeze into the bag.
--
Gordon H

On 07/08/08 14:02, Gordon H wrote:
In message , Ed
writes
On 07/08/08 12:13, Gordon H wrote:
I will not disclose whose method I used yesterday to freeze the first
1lb of beans. :-)

Gordon,

Try different methods for each batch n so keep everyone happy! Then
let us know if there were any significant differences. I bet there
won't be much between them!

Ed
I won't take that bet! I sliced them into 1/2" wide diagonals,
split them into two, steamed one half for 3 minutes, dropped the other
half into boiling water for 2 minutes, laid them out on a tea towel and
dried them, spread them on two baking trays until frozen them sorted
them into labelled plastic bags.

To remove air from the bags I used my own patent method of inserting a
drinking straw into a corner of the zip-bag, and sucking the air out as
I closed the last bit of the zip.

Note: If you have a heavy cold take care not to sneeze into the bag.

LOL!! ur a well humorous boy!! But u got to have a sense of humour when
growing veg and not get too down when things fail as they do.

Ed

In article ,
Gordon H writes:
|
| Note: If you have a heavy cold take care not to sneeze into the bag.

Yes. Frozen beans are very susceptible to infection by the common cold
virus, which can then infect everything else in your freezer. So when
its door or top blows open, you know why.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message , Ed
writes
On 07/08/08 14:02, Gordon H wrote:

I won't take that bet! I sliced them into 1/2" wide diagonals,
split them into two, steamed one half for 3 minutes, dropped the other
half into boiling water for 2 minutes, laid them out on a tea towel
and dried them, spread them on two baking trays until frozen them
sorted them into labelled plastic bags.
To remove air from the bags I used my own patent method of inserting
a drinking straw into a corner of the zip-bag, and sucking the air
out as I closed the last bit of the zip.
Note: If you have a heavy cold take care not to sneeze into the
bag.

LOL!! ur a well humorous boy!! But u got to have a sense of humour
when growing veg and not get too down when things fail as they do.

Ed

The straw method works! Vacuum-packing is the only way to get rid of
_all_ the air.
--
Gordon H

In message , Nick Maclaren
writes

In article ,
Gordon H writes:
|
| Note: If you have a heavy cold take care not to sneeze into the bag.

Yes. Frozen beans are very susceptible to infection by the common cold
virus, which can then infect everything else in your freezer. So when
its door or top blows open, you know why.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

8-)
--
Gordon H

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
In article ,
Rusty Hinge 2 writes:
|
| No! No! No!
|
| Right. Slice beans (on the slant).

BIG error. If they are big enough to slice, you haven't picked
them young enough!

You obviously don't feed your beans.

Mine are usually picked at around nine inches, and there are no strings.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

The message
from Ros Butt contains these words:

Pick them before they get too big (certainly not stringy) top, tail and
slice them and blanch for 1 - 2 minutes, cool under cold water immediately,
drain and place on a plastic tray, put straight in the freezer. After
about an hour give them a toss around and then leave them until they are
nearly frozen ( or completely - if you have forgotten about them, as
happens often!) you should be able to scrunch them off the tray and into a
bag for storage.

Where they will slowly turn to green leather...

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

The message m
from (Peter James) contains these words:
Gordon H wrote:

Now that I am picking more beans than I can eat, I have to resort to
freezing some for later use.
snipped
You realise I hope, that this thread is about to cause more arguments
and strife than the early Christian beliefs about how many angels can
dance on the point of a pin.

Head of a pin, per-lease!

I hope you feel suitably guilty:-)

Seconded.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
In article ,
Gordon H writes:
|
| Note: If you have a heavy cold take care not to sneeze into the bag.

Yes. Frozen beans are very susceptible to infection by the common cold
virus, which can then infect everything else in your freezer. So when
its door or top blows open, you know why.

Which leads me to ask, how do you know that the light in your freezer is
out when the lid is closed?

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

On Aug 5, 12:52*pm, Gordon H wrote:
Now that I am picking more beans than I can eat, I have to resort to
freezing some for later use.

I have Googled and found as many contradictions about precise methods as
there are pairs of contributors. * *;-)

*From a consensus, I propose to wash and slice diagonally into 1/2 " wide
pieces, drop into boiling water for 2 minutes, drop in iced water for
several minutes, then dry and freeze.

The last time I did this many years ago I bagged them after drying and
put them in the freezer. * * When we used them, they were stuck together
to some extent and iced up in the plastic bags. * * *We learned to make
up smaller portions... * ;-)

Today's reading suggests that I should leave them to dry more
thoroughly, and place them in the quick-freeze compartment on a baking
tray, rather than toss them in a bag.

Any comments on the methodology?

It is a given that they will not taste as they do when fresh, but in a
stir-fry with corn fed chicken, some Chinese veg and my favourite
sauces...
--
Gordon H

I used to wash etc., now I don't, I do what the French do and that is
pick, prepare and freeze dry, forget blanching. They have been doing
this for generations and it obviously works, so when I get enough, as
yet, not enough for us to make a meal on, then I will freeze the
glut.

Judith

On Aug 5, 2:39*pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
"Gordon H" *wrote ...





Now that I am picking more beans than I can eat, I have to resort to
freezing some for later use.

I have Googled and found as many contradictions about precise methods as
there are pairs of contributors. * *;-)

From a consensus, I propose to wash and slice diagonally into 1/2 " wide
pieces, drop into boiling water for 2 minutes, drop in iced water for
several minutes, then dry and freeze.

The last time I did this many years ago I bagged them after drying and put
them in the freezer. * * When we used them, they were stuck together to
some extent and iced up in the plastic bags. * * *We learned to make up
smaller portions... * ;-)

Today's reading suggests that I should leave them to dry more thoroughly,
and place them in the quick-freeze compartment on a baking tray, rather
than toss them in a bag.

Any comments on the methodology?

It is a given that they will not taste as they do when fresh, but in a
stir-fry with corn fed chicken, some Chinese veg and my favourite
sauces...

We don't usually bother freezing Runners, tried it years ago and didn't like
the result. Recently another allotment holder told us after trial and error
she does not blanch the beans before freezing and cooks them from frozen so
we have tried a few bags. We always freeze in portions for two (peas,
french) so no need to bother with open freezing.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

When I went on a cokking course recently in Grenoble Bob, I was shown
how to use a wok for cooking beans straight from the freezer with just
a little butter, they tasted great.

Judith

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
Now that I am picking more beans than I can eat, I have to resort to
freezing some for later use.

I have Googled and found as many contradictions about precise methods as
there are pairs of contributors. ;-)

From a consensus, I propose to wash and slice diagonally into 1/2 " wide
pieces, drop into boiling water for 2 minutes, drop in iced water for
several minutes, then dry and freeze.

The last time I did this many years ago I bagged them after drying and put
them in the freezer. When we used them, they were stuck together to
some extent and iced up in the plastic bags. We learned to make up
smaller portions... ;-)

Today's reading suggests that I should leave them to dry more thoroughly,
and place them in the quick-freeze compartment on a baking tray, rather
than toss them in a bag.

Any comments on the methodology?

It is a given that they will not taste as they do when fresh, but in a
stir-fry with corn fed chicken, some Chinese veg and my favourite
sauces...

My grandfather, who didn't have a freezer, always used to salt them in jars.
He would visit just before Christmas Day to give us some.
He was a magnificent gardener.

On Aug 8, 10:47*pm, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
"Gordon H" wrote in message

...



Now that I am picking more beans than I can eat, I have to resort to
freezing some for later use.

I have Googled and found as many contradictions about precise methods as
there are pairs of contributors. * *;-)

From a consensus, I propose to wash and slice diagonally into 1/2 " wide
pieces, drop into boiling water for 2 minutes, drop in iced water for
several minutes, then dry and freeze.

The last time I did this many years ago I bagged them after drying and put
them in the freezer. * * When we used them, they were stuck together to
some extent and iced up in the plastic bags. * * *We learned to make up
smaller portions... * ;-)

Today's reading suggests that I should leave them to dry more thoroughly,
and place them in the quick-freeze compartment on a baking tray, rather
than toss them in a bag.

Any comments on the methodology?

It is a given that they will not taste as they do when fresh, but in a
stir-fry with corn fed chicken, some Chinese veg and my favourite
sauces...

My grandfather, who didn't have a freezer, always used to salt them in jars.
He would visit just before Christmas Day to give us some.
He was a magnificent gardener.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I tried that Christina, many years ago, far too many in fact!!!! They
were horrid when I cooked them and I threw out the entire stock of
jars that I had, the old type pot sweet jars. I remember buying rock
salt, and layering the beans and salt but I'm sure I did something
wrong, they were awful.

Judith

Absolutely right Ros. Ive been doing it that way for years without any trouble.If they are dry enough when they go onto a tray in the freezer, they scrunch up easily for bagging.

On Aug 9, 9:21*am, Martin wrote:
On Fri, 8 Aug 2008 17:16:43 -0700 (PDT), Judith in France





wrote:
On Aug 8, 10:47*pm, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
"Gordon H" wrote in message

...

Now that I am picking more beans than I can eat, I have to resort to
freezing some for later use.

I have Googled and found as many contradictions about precise methods as
there are pairs of contributors. * *;-)

From a consensus, I propose to wash and slice diagonally into 1/2 " wide
pieces, drop into boiling water for 2 minutes, drop in iced water for
several minutes, then dry and freeze.

The last time I did this many years ago I bagged them after drying and put
them in the freezer. * * When we used them, they were stuck together to
some extent and iced up in the plastic bags. * * *We learned to make up
smaller portions... * ;-)

Today's reading suggests that I should leave them to dry more thoroughly,
and place them in the quick-freeze compartment on a baking tray, rather
than toss them in a bag.

Any comments on the methodology?

It is a given that they will not taste as they do when fresh, but in a
stir-fry with corn fed chicken, some Chinese veg and my favourite
sauces...

My grandfather, who didn't have a freezer, always used to salt them in jars.
He would visit just before Christmas Day to give us some.
He was a magnificent gardener.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I tried that Christina, many years ago, far too many in fact!!!! *They
were horrid when I cooked them and I threw out the entire stock of
jars that I had, the old type pot sweet jars. *I remember buying rock
salt, and layering the beans and salt but I'm sure I did something
wrong, they were awful.

There is a local Dutch family who made a fortune out of selling salted and
pickled vegetables to UK. They were conveniently located across a canal from the
vegetable auction. The owner thought most of the stuff they exported was used on
ships. I find salted vegetables disgusting too.
--

Martin- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I wonder how they were able to sell the stuff? I have eaten
cornichons in a light herb pickled water, they are nice but again I
would prefer to eat all my vegetables fresh.

Judith