French beans are a delicious green vegetable that makes the ideal accompaniment to various meals. Whether you roast, boil, or fry them, the crunch of French beans is pretty hard to beat! But what’s the best way to preserve them?
Can You Freeze French Beans?
Yes, you can freeze French beans for up to 6 months. You will need to trim and cut your beans before blanching them. You can then bag them up and store them in the freezer.
Do French Beans Freeze Well? Yes
Can You Refreeze French Beans? Yes
Looking for a full list of Thanksgiving foods you can freeze? Here it is!
How to Freeze French Beans
The good news is that there’s nothing difficult about freezing French beans. And while some people will freeze them without blanching them first, we think the blanching process is vital for preserving their taste, colour, and nutrients.
Here are the steps you need to follow to freeze French beans the right way:
- Trim and Cut
Rinse the French beans under the cold tap and place them on a chopping board. Then, trim the ends off the beans and discard them. You can then cut them into smaller pieces in preparation for serving. - Blanch
Bring a pan of water to a boil and add the French beans. Leave them in the water for between 60-90 seconds before removing them. Then, submerge the French beans in an ice bath for 2-3 minutes. - Dry
After blanching the French beans, pat them dry with paper towels and leave them to one side. - Bag Up
Decide how best to portion your French beans and place them in suitably sized freezer-safe bags. Make sure you press out as much air from the bags as possible before sealing them, as this will protect your French beans from freezer burn. - Label and Freeze
Write today’s date and the use-by date on the bag and place your French beans in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze French beans for around six months.
3 Tips for Freezing French Beans
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing French beans to have the best results:
Freeze Before Cooking
It’s always best to freeze French beans before cooking them. If you freeze them after boiling or frying them, they will lose some of their crunch when you come to reheat them.
Blanching is Essential
While you don’t need to blanch vegetables before freezing them, doing so helps to preserve their taste, texture, and nutrient value. So, given that it just takes a few minutes to blanch your French beans before bagging them up, it’s undoubtedly worth the extra effort.
Cook From Frozen
When it’s time to cook your French beans, you can do so from frozen. Simply take them out of the freezer and add them to a pan of boiling water, and they will be ready in a matter of minutes.
How Long Can You Freeze French Beans?
You can freeze French beans for around six months. Some people freeze beans and other vegetables for longer than this, but we’d recommend sticking to this time frame if you want to get the best from your veg.
This is because the ice crystals that form during the freezing process can affect the taste and texture of French beans, so it’s best to use them up within six months to ensure they’re as delicious as you would hope!
You Can Freeze French Beans for up to 6 Months
How Do You Defrost French Beans?
There’s no need to defrost French beans before freezing them. Instead, you can remove them from the freezer and add them straight to a pan of boiling water, and they will be ready in a few minutes.
However, if you plan on eating your French beans raw or you want to defrost them, simply transfer the bag from the freezer to the fridge the night before you plan to enjoy them.
Your French beans will then have thawed and be ready to use in any way that you choose.
Can You Refreeze French Beans?
Provided you thaw your French beans in the fridge, you can refreeze them without any issues. Just be mindful that the more you refreeze French beans, the more likely they are to deteriorate in terms of taste and texture.
Still, refreezing French beans shouldn’t cause you any issues and is a good way of preserving this delicious veggie long into the future.
Do French Beans Freeze Well?
Overall, French beans freeze really well.
We’d recommend blanching them beforehand, so they lock in all of their delicious taste and nutrients, and provided you follow the steps introduced above, you shouldn’t encounter any problems when it comes to freezing French beans.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing French beans or beans in general, then these may help:
French beans will be safe to eat if they have not been blanched and then frozen but you will find they will lose more of their texture and are likely to lose more nutrients too.
Although it’s possible to freeze French beans that have been cooked, it’s a better idea to freeze them blanched to avoid overcooking them and ruining the texture.
