Today there were things to be done in the kitchen so,instead of sewing I spent my free time preserving some of the goodness from the garden. For a while now I have been toying with the idea of doing a series on preserving/canning/freezing...
Here is the question,would you peeps be interested in something like that? Please let me know in the form of comments if that is something you would like to read/learn about. I am not an expert by any means,but,am happy to share the knowledge acquired from my experiences! With that in mind here is a sample...
How to prepare Green beans for Freezing:
Blanching (scalding in boiling water for a short timed interval) partially cooks,sets the bright green color,stops enzyme actions that can cause loss of color,flavor,and texture
What you will need:
- Green Beans (of course)
- A large pot,for Blanching the beans
- Ice,I just bought a small bag at the connivence store
- Freezer bags
- a metal steamer basket,(you can do without this,but it is Much easier if you use one)
First you will need the green beans,these are from our garden,there is just under two and a half pounds. I have already washed them,snapped off the ends,and also snapped them into bite size pieces.(you can also cut them,but I prefer to just snap them).
So,wash your beans,and either cut or snap them to the desired size.
If you live at a high altitude like we do here,you will want to put your water on to boil before preparing your beans,as it will take a while to reach the boiling point. You should have 1 gallon of water per pound of beans. (I had to do mine in two batches,as my pot was not large enough to accommodate the correct amount of water and beans)
Bring your water to a rolling boil.
While waiting for your water to boil prepare your Ice water bath. You can use a large bowl or another large pot. Or,you can use the kitchen sink. I prefer to do the latter,as there is plenty of room to work,and the sink will hold a lot of beans. Which is great if you are preparing a large amount of beans.
The amount of blanching time will depend on the size of your prepared beans. For small,or bite size pieces you will need to blanch for two (2) minutes ~ for medium size pieces,you will need to blanch for three (3) minutes ~ for large size pieces,you will need to blanch for,four (4) minutes.
As you can see I am not using the metal steamer basket,because I do not have one. So I have to use a slotted utensil to remove the beans from the pot. Which I would Not recommend if you have little ones!
Once you have Carefully added the beans to the pot,place the lid back on,so it can return to a boil as quickly as possible. Once it has returned to a boil,start your timer for the correct time,for the size of your beans.
After the blanching time has elapsed,Carefully remove the beans from the boiling water and immediately plunge them into the waiting Ice water. Be sure to cool the beans in the ice water for the Same amount of time as you Blanched them for.
When the beans are done cooling in the ice water remove them to a towel,or place where they can air dry. In the photo the beans are in a pile,you need to spread them out in a single layer to air dry.
While waiting for the beans to dry,prepare your freezer bags. I am using bags that you can remove the air from,but regular freezer bags will work just fine.
When your beans have air dried place them into the freezer bags,in meal size portions that are appropriate for your family. For Mr. P and I that is a half cup serving,or one (1) cup of beans per bag.
Thats seven (7) servings of green beans for us to enjoy this winter!
The sources I consulted for this post are as follows:
National Center for Home Food Preservation
How to Freeze Fresh Green Beans
You can find a lot of useful information at the first link,the second one is just how to freeze green beans,but there is also a link to a recipe for lemony green beans there.
Enjoy your week!
