Freezing Runner Beans
 

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

Freezing Runner Beans
 

In article ,
AriesVal writes:
|
| Any comments on the methodology?
|
| I'm watching for replies as I too need to freeze surplus runners :)

As people have posted in the past, the key is to do it when they
are VERY small. Larger runners taste of nothing after having been
frozen. I don't bother, anyway, but freeze only French beans.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Freezing Runner Beans
 

"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

Freezing Runner Beans
 

"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...
--
Gordon H

I do not blanch, just chop um up and freeze um, we then steam um from
frozen, never had a problem that way, although I don't know what the shelf
life would be in the freezer

Freezing Runner Beans
 

In message , Nick Maclaren
writes

In article ,
AriesVal writes:
|
| Any comments on the methodology?
|
| I'm watching for replies as I too need to freeze surplus runners :)

As people have posted in the past, the key is to do it when they
are VERY small. Larger runners taste of nothing after having been
frozen. I don't bother, anyway, but freeze only French beans.

I pick when they have only just swollen slightly.
They are virtually eatable raw, at that stage, I find.
--
Gordon H

Freezing Runner Beans
 

On 05/08/08 12:52, 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...

Your methodology is fine!

The only difference to my practice, is that I dry most of the water off
after blanching in the cold water with a tea towel and freeze them open
on the quick-freeze tray in my freezer and give them a bit of a
shake/stir every now 10 min or so to stop em sticking together. Then I
bag them up and so I can pour out the quantity I need later.

Ed

Freezing Runner Beans
 

The message
from Gordon H contains these words:

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

Take care! Done properly, they're like fresh. The usual way, they end-up
like strips of leather.

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

You will.

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.

Get a hand slicer. Spong make a good one. It's a disc with three
stamped-out blades which you turn with a handle, as per mincer.

You feed the beans in at a steep angle from the back (on your side, by
the handle), and the blades cut the beans on the slant.

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... ;-)

No! No! No!

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.

No! No! No!

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...

Right. Slice beans (on the slant).

Put in saucepan and cover with water.

Bring to the boil and keep boiling lightly for two or three minutes.

Take saucepan off heat and sit it in a basin of cold water, changing the
water if it gets very warm.

DO NOT TIP OFF WATER

Take portion-sized (or family portion-sized) quantities and put into
freezerbags.

Use the water from the saucepan to add to the bagged beans.

Hold each bag upright, with the top of it held together and gently
squeeze its bottom (Oo-er!) to get rid of all the air. Air is the
nemesis of frozen food...

Tie (Not with those wire ties, tie a knot in) the tops of the bags. (You
don't want to let any air in, or any water out, as undoubtably you will,
otherwise.)

Place on a tray or similar, and freeze.

If you just freeze the beans with airspace between them, water will be
removed from the beans during storage, turning them leathery. This
process isn't completely reversible.

(I learnt this on a fish-handling course at Torry Research Station - you
get 'freezer-burn' on the surface of the fish. This is as bad for beans
as it is for benito.)

Naturally, you don't waste the water when you defrost - use it to finish
cooking the beans (except in stir-fry!) and then ase it to make the
gravy.

ALL my vegetables are frozen in this manner.

TAAAW, when doing herbs, I chop them and freeze them with water in an
ice-cube tray, or better, if I can get the gunge in, in ice-lump bags.

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

Freezing Runner Beans
 

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!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Freezing Runner Beans
 

In message , Ed
writes
On 05/08/08 12:52, Gordon H wrote:

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...

Your methodology is fine!

The only difference to my practice, is that I dry most of the water off
after blanching in the cold water with a tea towel and freeze them open
on the quick-freeze tray in my freezer and give them a bit of a
shake/stir every now 10 min or so to stop em sticking together. Then I
bag them up and so I can pour out the quantity I need later.

Ed

Thanks. I might try just chopping a few and freezing without
blanching, to test the difference if any.

However, unless you eat the beans on their own it must be difficult to
taste the difference!
--
Gordon H

Freezing Runner Beans
 

In message , Nick Maclaren
writes

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!

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I just knew I would get a clear, explicit and definitive set of
instructions here.
In fact, several clear, explicit and definitive sets of instructions!

I shall experiment with several. :-)
Some interesting and varied theories.
--
Gordon H

Freezing Runner Beans
 

The message
from Gordon H contains these words:

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. ;-)

I tried the non-freezing method out of curiosity a few years ago, and it
was not very successful as they needed far more time to cook, so I reverted
to my tried and trusted method which I have used very successfully for many
years:-

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.

Ros

Freezing Runner Beans
 

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.

I hope you feel suitably guilty:-)

Peter



--
He spoke with a certain what-is-it in his voice, and I
could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far
from being gruntled.
P.G. Wodehouse 1881 -1975

Freezing Runner Beans
 

AriesVal wrote:
On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 09:15:12 +0100, Peter James wrote:

Gordon H wrote:

[3 quoted lines suppressed]
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.

I hope you feel suitably guilty:-)

Peter

LOL ;)
After reading here last year that leaving runner beans whole rather than
slicing makes them much sweeter I no longer slice mine. They are much
tastier and sweeter that way. If you want to used larger ones just snap
them in half, if they don't break cleanly they are stringy, yuck!

Freezing Runner Beans
 

In message m, Peter
James writes
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.

I hope you feel suitably guilty:-)

Peter

I am beginning to realise it...
I will not disclose whose method I used yesterday to freeze the first
1lb of beans. :-)
--
Gordon H

Freezing Runner Beans
 

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