Getting ready for winter: how to freeze beans, preserving the beneficial properties and what to cook from them later

Homemade preparations allow you to save money and provide the owners with healthy and high-quality products for the cold season. All varieties of beans contain vitamins B, C and T, carbohydrates, easily digestible protein, calcium and iron. However, not all of them are suitable for preparing blanks. Therefore, before freeze beans for the winter, it is important to study all the nuances and peculiarities of working with this product.

Selection and preparation of legumes

Asparagus beans differ from vegetable beans in that there is no hard layer in their structure. Young pods are suitable for soups, salads, stews and side dishes without removing the seeds from the leaves.

Important! If you collect the pods in a timely manner, they will not need to be cooked for a long time and they will taste tender.

Beans of different colors can be frozen. As a rule, green fruits are sold in stores, but white, yellow, purple and red fruits can be grown and cooked in the country. In addition, on a cut, they can be of different shapes:

• flat;
• cylindrical.

reference... Round pods are often chosen for freezing, thinking that they are much juicier and softer. However, their shape does not affect the quality after freezing.

Freeze if desired green beans for the winter period, you should prefer the following varieties:

• Oil King;
• Fakir;
• Crane;
• Mask;
• Sonesta.

For subsequent freezing, the pods are removed from the bushes regularly: they must be picked at a time when the skin is still thin and the seeds are small. Ready-to-freeze pods look like in the photo.

When sorting raw materials for procurement, it is necessary:

• remove fruits that have mechanical damage or stains;
• disinfect them: soak in a weak solution of baking soda and rinse in running water;
• fold the pods on a sieve and dry on a cloth;
• trim the ends on both sides.

Such processing eliminates the possibility of spoilage of the workpiece and increases the nutritional value of the product.

Features of asparagus varieties

The following varieties of asparagus beans are distinguished:

1. Royal purple pod.
2. Golden nectar.
3. Fana.
4. Blau Hilde.
5. Gina asparagus.
6. Winner.
7. Deer king.
8. Paloma scuba.

The varietal characteristics of green beans affect their use:

• fleshy pods are better suited for preservation;
• thin ones are more suitable for use in stews, soups and salads.

Fully ripe seeds of asparagus varieties are eaten, however, unlike conventional legumes, their shell is coarser, so they require prolonged soaking and long cooking. Similar to the usual variety, the asparagus species is grown in the form of shrubs, as well as semi-curling and curly forms and is not demanding in care, therefore it is often found in gardens and greenhouses.

How to freeze green beans

For freezing, you need to choose green beans that have already reached the required maturity. The pod should be tight and resilient, it will break if you try to bend it. Inside, on the break, the pulp is visible, if the seeds are visible, then they should be small in size, with a grain of rice.

Of course, the seed pods themselves should not have any stains, damage, and other things. It happens that ordinary beans that are not ripe are passed off as asparagus. To understand this is simple: you need to break the pod into two parts, and if there is a fibrous thread on the side, this means that in front of you is an ordinary beans.

Before freezing, green beans must be prepared: rinse, dry and trim the ponytails on both sides. Then the pods are cut into pieces of any size. You can freeze it as a whole - it all depends on tastes and wishes.

Universal method of freezing

Blanching leaves the pods soft while retaining the beneficial properties, flavor and color. It is enough to simply defrost such a blank - and you can immediately prepare a salad or other vegetable dishes, which do not involve heat treatment.

Cooking steps:

1. Pour 3 liters of water into a large saucepan, wait until it boils and put the pods there.
2. Boil them in boiling water for three minutes.
3. After the time has elapsed, the water is drained, and the pods are transferred to a container with ice water.
4. After three minutes, the pods are laid out on a clean cloth and dried.
5. After that, you need to put the beans in a container and put them in the freezer.

Basic subtleties

When freezing beans, it is important to consider the following nuances:

• it is required to put the workpiece in bags or containers as quickly as possible so that the beans do not begin to defrost;
• the heat must not be reduced, otherwise the cooking technology will be disrupted;
• it is allowed to use cold water instead of ice. However, using ice is more suitable.

Read also:

How to grow delicious green beans in the country.

How to grow black beans on your site and cook it right.

Why are asparagus beans useful, how to grow and cook them correctly.

Freezing other types of beans

The correct technology for freezing beans will allow you to get a high-quality product, which will subsequently be used in the preparation of various dishes.

Red

Ripe beans contain more protein than young pods, but this makes them slightly harder to freeze.

reference... This blank is suitable for making mashed potatoes and first courses.

Ripe red beans can be frozen both raw (pre-soaked) and cooked until tender.

Boiled frozen bean seeds must be thawed in the refrigerator so that the ice crystals do not damage their delicate structure.

Boiled

To preserve the beneficial properties, it is better to soak the beans, rather than boil them. It is necessary to soak in cold water for a day, while periodically replacing it with fresh water.

Step by step, this procedure looks like this:

1. After collecting, we clean the beans from the pod flaps, rinse and soak for 12 hours in water at room temperature.
2. We change the water and place the seeds in the refrigerator for two days. At this time, the fruits will increase in size, and in the future it will be much easier to process them thermally.
3. We put the beans in a saucepan, fill with water and boil over low heat until tender.
4. Strain through a colander and leave to dry a little.
5. Place the fruit in containers and freeze.

reference... If you plan to use the preparation in the form of mashed potatoes, you can knead the fruits and put the product in portioned bags or small containers for freezing.

Raw

The simplest method is to freeze raw green beans. In the future, such a preparation will be an excellent addition to soups, meat dishes or vegetable stews.

For such a freezing technique, several steps will be required:

1. Prepare legumes as described above.
2. Place the pods on a large flat dish. At this point, they should be completely dry and cut (if required).
3. In this form, they are placed in a freezer for 4-5 hours.
4. Remove the dish and transfer the pods to containers or plastic bags for later storage.

Canned

Legumes are well frozen, so you can easily subject the finished canned beans to this procedure:

1. It can be frozen both in a layer and in the form of a pate or a ready-made dressing for the first courses.
2. Depending on the method chosen, you should grind it with a blender into a homogeneous mass or prepare a container with beans in a tomato.
3. Place the ready-to-freeze product in a container, close it and put it in the freezer.

Important! Be sure to leave marks on the blanks with the date of freezing.

Beans puree should not be thawed in hot water or microwave ovens. The container must be placed in a pallet and left in the refrigerator overnight.

How to store frozen food

Frozen beans can be stored for no more than six months. It can be consumed later than this period only under the following conditions:

• in the freezer compartment, the temperature is -18 degrees or lower;
• the workpiece was done correctly;
• the packaging is sufficiently sealed;
• the product has not been thawed during storage.

Pods can be packed in special containers or in freezer bags. Bean puree is more convenient to pack in portions: as much as necessary for a one-time preparation of a dish, so as not to defrost the entire prepared product.

How to cook frozen green beans

The presence of such a preparation allows the hostess to prepare a full-fledged dish or side dish within 20 minutes. Simply boiled beans work equally well with meat, fish and poultry.

Cook and cook in a slow cooker

Frozen green beans need to be boiled for 5-7 minutes. In a double boiler, the process will take longer - 12-15 minutes.

reference... For the salad, the pods are boiled for only three minutes.

In a multicooker, frozen asparagus beans are usually placed directly from the freezer. It can be cooked with meat, mushrooms, fish, or cereals. The multicooker allows you to boil, stew, fry and even bake food - bean pods can be cooked in any mode, depending on the desired dish.

Green Bean Soup

Soup from frozen green beans can seriously compete with your favorite borscht or hodgepodge. This light and hearty soup diversifies the usual menu with a fresh and bright taste.

Ingredients:

• frozen green beans - 200 g;
• potatoes - 1 pc.;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• olive oil - 1 tbsp l .;
• garlic, herbs, salt and spices to taste.

Preparation:

1. Peel and chop vegetables: potatoes and onions - into cubes, carrots - into thin strips.
2. Fry the onions and carrots until half cooked in olive oil.
3. For this dish, the pods do not need to be thawed, they will boil well in the soup. For its preparation, it is better to choose a saucepan with a thick bottom: pour 1.5 liters of cold water into it and throw in the green bean pods. Put on fire to boil.
4. After boiling, add potatoes and cook until tender.
5. When the potatoes are soft enough, add the sautéed vegetables, salt and spices.
6. After boiling, reduce heat and simmer for half an hour.

Pickle with beans and pickles

This soup is very light and tasty. Ideal for hot summers.

Ingredients:

• beans - 100 g;
• potatoes - 2-3 pcs. (large);
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• tomato - 1 pc. (large);
• pickled cucumbers - 200-300 g;
• pickle from cucumbers - 3/4 st.;
• vegetable oil - 40 ml;
• salt and spices to taste;
• sugar - 1 tsp;
• bay leaf - 2-3 pcs.

Preparation:

1. It is better to take small beans for soup (any color). It is good if there is a blank of frozen beans that have been pre-soaked. Otherwise, it takes 6-8 hours to soak. Only after that you should boil it. The water after boiling does not need to be drained - this is the basis of the future soup.
2. While the beans are boiling, you need to prepare the vegetables: peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes, grate the carrots on a medium grater, chop the onion and tomato into cubes.
3. Fry onions, tomatoes and carrots in vegetable oil.
4. When softened, add the diced pickles and simmer for a few minutes under the lid.
5. Add boiling water to the water from the beans and put on the fire to boil.
6. After boiling, pour out the potatoes, cook for 10-15 minutes and add the beans.
7. Add vegetable dressing and brine.
8. Add salt, spices and bay leaf to taste and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Frozen green beans salad

Green beans can be used to quickly make a light and tasty salad.

Ingredients:

• green beans - 400 g;
• sesame seeds - 1 tbsp l .;
• soy sauce - 2 tbsp l .;
• liquid honey - 1 tbsp. l .;
• sea ​​salt, black pepper - to taste;
• olive oil - 1 tbsp l.

Preparation:

1. Add oil to a preheated pan and add beans. Fry the pods over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. If the beans were taken frozen, then cover the pan with a lid and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until tender.
2. Transfer the pods to a salad bowl, add sesame seeds, soy sauce, honey, salt and spices.
3. Stir and let stand for five minutes. Then you can serve the salad to the table.

Stewed beans with meat in a slow cooker

This hearty dish requires pork or beef.

Ingredients:

• boneless meat - 0.5 kg;
• green beans - 0.5 kg;
• onion - 2 medium heads;
• garlic - 3 cloves;
• spices and oil;
• ketchup - 2 tbsp. l .;
• water - 150 ml.

Preparation:

1. Cut the washed meat into centimeter-thick pieces and beat off each layer a little.
2. Cut the layers into strips.
3. Add a little oil to the multicooker container and let it warm up slightly.
4. Add meat and fry until half cooked.
5. When the meat begins to brown, add the onion, chopped in large pieces. Fry for 10 minutes.
6. Add the beans. If the beans are frozen, you can immediately add ketchup or tomato. If you add fresh beans, add water. Stir all ingredients and leave in simmering mode for 20 minutes.
7. Add salt and spices, mix again and leave for 10 minutes in the same mode.
8. When ready, add herbs and garlic, leave to brew for about 10 minutes.

Stewed asparagus beans with vegetables and herbs

Bean pods go well with herbs and vegetables.

Ingredients:

• beans in pods - 0.5 kg;
• mushrooms - 400 g;
• eggplant - 400 g;
• carrots - 100 g;
• onions - 100 g;
• garlic to taste;
• tomato paste - 2 tbsp l .;
• vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

1. Peel and chop the mushrooms, put in a pan and fry in oil.
2. Chop the onion with carrots and add to the mushrooms.
3. To remove the bitterness, cut the eggplants, salt, leave for 15 minutes and rinse with warm water. Add to onions and carrots.
4. Place the asparagus beans and fry for 10 minutes.
5. Mix the tomato paste with a little water and add to the pan. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Squeeze the garlic through a press and add the spices.

Green beans with carrots and garlic

Universal garnish for meat and fish dishes.

Ingredients:

• frozen green beans - 400 g;
• frozen mini carrots - 200 g;
• granulated garlic - 1/3 tsp;
• salt to taste;
• olive oil - 2 tablespoons l.

Preparation:

1. Boil the vegetables in salted water for four minutes and drain in a colander.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, place vegetables and add granulated garlic. Fry until tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Salt to taste.

This dish must be served immediately.

Conclusion

Winter blanks from asparagus beans are easy to prepare and use. It is important to properly prepare the legumes: it is necessary to leave only dense and intact pods without stains or damage.

There are several ways to freeze beans: the choice depends on how you plan to use them in the future. Many interesting salads, hearty hot dishes and side dishes can be prepared from such blanks.