The message
from Judith Lea contains these words:

I would like to freeze our surplus, however, I have never been satisfied
with them after freezing - any advice would be welcome

Blanch them by putting in boiling water, bring back to the boil and
simmer for a minute.

Freeze the beans in freezer bags, with the water they were blanched in.
Exclude all air from the bag before sealing.

The water prevents the beans from getting freezer-burn - which happens
if they are frozen 'dry' and there is an air-space in the bag.

I freeze in single portions because I live alone, but I'd freeze in
units of the amount you expect to use each time. I specified freezer
bags because thinner plastic will permit some water to diffuse through
it.

I freeze as much as possible this way - a method I learnt back in the
early 'seventies at the Torrey Research Station, while on a
fish-handling course.

On freezer ships, some fish are blast-frozen, then sprayed with water to
coat them with ice, and this prevents freezer-burn. I just modified the
process to apply to vegetables, and i can assure you, it works
excellently.

I then do any more cooking required in the water saved with the veg - in
the case of beans, I find that just bringing them to the boil is
sufficient.

HTH

--
Rusty