A selection of the best ways to freeze green beans while preserving maximum health and flavor

Beans are among the world's most widely used culinary crops. Since the 16th century, green beans (asparagus) came into use.

Modern technologies make it possible to freeze green beans in any quantity, which is easy to implement at home. The variety of freezing methods available to everyone allows you to choose the most suitable option and preserve all the useful qualities of the product for the winter.

Green beans: benefits and harms

One of the main merits green beans are their low calorie content - only 24-31 kcal / 100 g and low fat content. The usefulness of the product is also represented by a large amount of minerals and trace elements, flavonoids, vitamins of groups A, B, C, E and fiber.

In nature, both green and purple and yellow color of asparagus beans are found - it depends on how from the variety, and the degree of maturity of the fetus. The difference between the yellow variety is only in the increased level of oiliness.

Important! Asparagus beans contain an easily digestible vegetable protein. For this reason, the product is ideal for vegetarians as an alternative to animal proteins.

Other health benefits of green beans:

• the presence of naphthoquinone (vitamin K) in beans, which has a positive effect on the circulatory system and the process of calcium absorption by the body;
• high fiber content (9 mg / 100 g) helps to remove toxins and reduce blood cholesterol levels;
• low glycemic index (15 units) makes the product a component of dietary nutrition;
• vitamin A and antioxidants in the composition inhibit the aging process;
• the increased content of folic acid prevents congenital diseases of the fetus;
• carotenoid component protects eyes from ultraviolet radiation;
• a wide variety of vitamins and macronutrients have a beneficial effect on the work of the cardiovascular and reproductive systems, strengthen the immune system;
• medicinal properties: improved digestion, normalization of pressure, saturation of body cells with oxygen;
• recommended for anemia and diabetes mellitus;
• regulation of salt balance in the body due to the diuretic effect.

It is recommended to include asparagus beans in the diet only if there are no contraindications for health reasons. It is forbidden to use it in food in the presence of such diseases as cholecystitis, acute pancreatitis, stomach ulcer, colitis and intestinal dysfunction.

Otherwise, the manifestation of exacerbations and deterioration in general health is possible. It is also better to exclude beans from the diet for elderly people due to their ability to cause flatulence. Gout and jade are another limiting factor for beans due to their high purine content.

Areas of use

In cooking, there are many ways to prepare green beans, which can be used as a side dish or as a complete dish. It is an irreplaceable ingredient in salads and an ideal product for freezing, retaining all its beneficial properties at low temperatures.

Important! Asparagus beans cannot be eaten raw due to the presence of pheazin toxin, which is harmful to humans, which is neutralized by heat treatment of the product.

Beans are considered a waste-free crop. In addition to a wide range of its use as a food product, the medicinal properties of beans have found their application in folk medicine:

1. Boiled pods are used to make anti-wrinkle masks (crushed pods mixed with lemon juice), which have a tonic and whitening effect.
2. Seed powder is used to make talkers that improve lactation and enhance the diuretic effect.
3. Decoctions of seeds and pods are used as a diuretic for the prevention and treatment of diseases of the genitourinary system.
4. A decoction of beans with blueberry leaves is an especially effective remedy in the treatment of diabetes.
5. Bean juice is recommended for women in order to normalize hormonal levels, with mastopathy.

Important! Asparagus-based juices, decoctions and infusions are just additional remedies in the treatment of diseases. Use them only after consulting your doctor.

How to freeze green beans for the winter at home

A correctly selected product, frozen in accordance with all the rules and requirements, will become an ideal ingredient in the preparation of a wide range of tasty and healthy dishes.

Basic rules of the preparatory stage

Harvesting of beans begins in the second half of summer.

For harvesting for the winter, beans of the varieties Oil King, Fakir, Zhuravushka, Mask, Sonesta are ideal.

Proper freezing consists of the following steps:

1. Examination of the bean pods with a selection of ripe green fruits.
2. Processing vegetables in a weak solution of baking soda to remove microbes, followed by rinsing in running water.
3. Dry the fruit with a dry cloth.
4. Cut the pods into small pieces and remove the tips.
5. Freezing container preparation. Most often, plastic bags are used, in which the pods are placed in portions.
6. Sending containers to the freezer for storage.

Beans can only be frozen in a pre-cleaned and dried form. This will eliminate the risk of poisoning and improve quality, and compliance with all the necessary freezing rules will ensure the safety of the fruit.

The recommended mode is "super freeze". Beans of any color with a flat or cylindrical shape of beans are suitable for such a blank. The most common use is round pods, which are considered more suitable for various dishes.

Important! If more than 2 kg of vegetables are frozen, then the instant freezing mode is turned on 4 hours before placing the products in the freezer. The product cannot be re-frozen.

In the freezer, sprouts wrapped in cloth or plastic can remain usable for up to 10 months.

It is permissible to use asparagus for food and after the expiration of the period, if the conditions are met:

• maintaining the temperature in the freezer at -18 ° C or less;
• compliance with the rules of preparation for freezing;
• tightness of packaging;
• the product has not thawed during storage.

Freezing Bean Options

There are several options for freezing a product:

1. Raw beans. Clean and dried beans are evenly laid out on a horizontal surface (tray, board) and placed on the freezer shelves, designed for quick freezing. The workpiece received after and packaged in packages is sent for long-term storage.
2. Soaked beans. The grains obtained by cleaning the beans are soaked in water for several hours. Beans in this form will not lose their useful properties. The ready-made semi-finished product in packaged form serves as an excellent ingredient in cooking.
3. Boiled beans. The pods are dipped in boiling water and cooked for 15 minutes.The dried finished product is placed in sealed bags or plastic containers. Frozen boiled beans do not need any additional processing and can be used directly for food. The main disadvantage of the freezing method is considered to be a significant amount of time and the loss of useful qualities of the finished product. When storing frozen boiled beans for more than 6 months, its beneficial properties really decrease.
4. Blanched beans. The fruits are placed in boiling water and boiled for 5 minutes, after which they are immediately dipped into an ice-cold liquid. This method contributes to their rapid cooling and guarantees the preservation of their appearance. Dried pods, packaged in containers, are sent to the freezer. The main disadvantage of this method is the waste of time on blanching. However, thanks to this procedure, the beans become soft, preserving their beneficial properties, color and taste as much as possible.

Canning beans acts as an alternative way of preserving products that are used if it is not possible to send them in full to the freezer. Canned beans are significantly inferior to frozen ones in terms of the usefulness and preservation of vitamins.

Cooking frozen beans

The cooking time for pre-thawed asparagus depends on the method. The usual way - adding beans to boiling water - involves boiling for 5 minutes after boiling the water. When cooking beans defrosting is not required in a double boiler, and the process itself takes 12-15 minutes.

For salads, the beans are boiled in salted water for 3 minutes. Some people report the bitter taste of beans after they are thawed. To avoid this, send raw asparagus beans to the freezer immediately after pre-processing.

Popular Green Bean Recipes

Here are the most popular recipes for dishes with beans that will diversify your diet and decorate your table.

Stewed chicken with beans

For cooking, use both frozen and fresh beans, which will need to be boiled for 3-5 minutes. Beans, garlic, tomatoes, greens are added to the chicken fillet fried with onions and carrots and simmered until tender.

Classic salad

A simple salad with asparagus beans is ideal for a healthy diet. You will need to boil frozen beans for 7 minutes, cool, then prepare a dressing: mix oil, vinegar, spices, garlic, tomatoes, then pour the finished mixture over the product and mix.

Green beans with garlic

Boil the frozen asparagus beans for 8-10 minutes and mix with garlic, salt and pepper to taste and cook in a pan for another 3 minutes. The dish is recommended to be served with cilantro.

Green Bean Soup

There are many recipes for making bean soup. Here is the simplest one: peeled, washed and chopped vegetables - onions, carrots - are cooked with beans for 10 minutes. After adding the potatoes - another 7-8 minutes.

Season with ground pepper and salt, cream and simmer for a couple of minutes. This vegetable soup is an indispensable dish in vegetarian cuisine.

Tips & Tricks

Experienced housewives know all the intricacies of cooking vegetables and give valuable advice on freezing them:

1. The best way to store beans is a vegetable mixture.
2. Asparagus beans go well with chicken and other vegetables, and are considered an excellent ingredient for salads, omelets, stews and baked dishes.
3. A convenient way to cook asparagus beans is to stew in a slow cooker.
4. It is unacceptable to store unfrozen beans in pods, this is fraught with rotting and damage to the crop. Untreated seeds are difficult to fully dry out.

Conclusion

The fruit and vegetable season does not end in summer.An excellent way to use them in the diet all year round is to freeze them, and the correct approach to this process will allow you to preserve all the valuable and useful properties.

Green beans are one of the most popular and healthy foods: freezing will allow you to enjoy the fresh taste of this vegetable all year round. Cheers and bon appetit!