I don"t like the taste of frozen stringbeans, but I have a garden full, I have canned them in past, but am getting old and tired and would prefer a easer way. I have the roma variety too. tell me the secret please. thanks Irene

-- Irene orsborn (tkorsborn@cs.com), May 17, 2001

Answers

The key is to blanch them so they don't get soggy when defrosted/cooked. Any good cookbook tells how to do this, but basically you bring them to a quick boil, then immediately plunge them in cold water. Then freeze them in freezer bags. Cook more thoroughly when you want to eat them.

-- Christina (introibo2000@yahoo.com), May 17, 2001.

Irene, I am not a fan of blanching. Think about this. If you cook the outside layer of the bean than it gets water in it right? This water than freezes, making your beans loose their crispness! So as I pick, I keep a gallon ziplock baggy in the freezer. I wash the beans well, dry them thoroughly with a towel, cut to size and freeze. When I want to cook some I bring the pot to the freezer, scoop some out, reseal that baggy and boil or steam. Try them both ways this year and see for yourself. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 17, 2001.

Hate to be bearer of bad news, but I have tried freezing greenbeans several ways and they are just better canned. Living alone, I havent bothered preserving any for years now. When Mom was alive she found an easy vinigar recipie for canning them without pressure canner. None spoiled and nobody got sick. I probably have it around somewhere although it would be a needle in haystack sort of search.

By way freezing green peas is way to go. Canning them turns them to mush. Just depends on the crop what preservation method works best.

-- Hermit John (hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com), May 17, 2001.

In my opinion, some beans just freeze or can better than others. I use purple pod beans for canning as they seem to stand the pressure canner better and don't get quite as mushy. I freeze green and yellow beans. The secret to a good frozen bean is blanching in a hard boiling water for 2 min. then plunging in ice-laden cold water for 2 min. Be sure to drain thoroughly so the beans wont get water logged. Freeze immediately! My frozen beans stay crispy and full of fresh-picked flavor. I can even use them in stir fry! I do like the buttery flaver of canned beans, though. Good luck!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), May 18, 2001.

I agree with Marcia. But, if you don't want to boil you can steam the beans for five minutes: then chill, drain, pack, seal and freeze. Blanching stops the action of enzimes which can cause the vegetables to become tough, discolored, and to loose flavor.Also,I like to plant Early Contender bush bean for freezing.

-- Nancy Bakke-McGonigle Mn. Sunset (dmcgonig@smig.net), May 19, 2001.

I have a friend that has been canning/freezing for years and she is convinced that frenching the beans before blanching and freezing is the answer to good tasting frozen beans. I have bought a frencher from Cumberland General Store and will give it a try this year. Rita

-- Rita in TN (felfoot @twlakes.net), May 19, 2001.

Nancy, Steaming the beans sounds like a good idea to me. Think I'll try that this year!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), May 19, 2001.

Here's my recipe for Dilly Beans, a nice alternative to plain canned or frozen green beans. The children really like them. One youngster takes home a pint jar each time he visits, and his mom tells me he eats them all within a few days. I take a jar of these to potlucks and picnics, and always bring home an empty jar! Wash and cut beans to length to fit straight up in wide mouth pint jars. Pack in sterilized jars. Add 2 gloves garlic, l large head of fresh dill (or l/2 tsp. dill seed), 1/2 tsp. whole mustard seed and 1/4 tsp. cayenne peppeer to each pint jar. Bring to a boil qt. vinegar, 2 qt. water, 1/2 c. salt and 1/2 to 3/4 c. sugar. Pour over beans. Place lids on and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes. They will look wrinkled, but will plump out again in the pickling solution.

-- Duffy (hazelm@tenforward.com), May 24, 2001.