GreenThumbWhiteApron.com

Let's Grow, Eat, Make, See, & Do Something Together!

Navigation
  • Home
  • About
    • About Brett
    • Contest Experiences
    • Blog
    • Privacy Policy
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Renovation
    • Kraemer House History
    • Kraemer House Renovation
    • Interior
      • First Floor
        • Kitchen
        • Pantry & Laundry Room
        • Dining Room
        • Living Room
        • First Floor Bathroom
      • Second Floor
        • Bedroom 1
        • Bedroom 2
        • Office
        • Second Floor Bathroom
      • Third Floor
        • Bedroom 3
        • Craft Room
        • Third Floor Bathroom
      • Staircase and Hall
      • Basement
    • Exterior
      • Kraemer House Exterior
      • Porches
      • Garden
      • Barns
  • Grow
    • Gardening
  • Eat
    • Cooking & Food Related
    • Recipes
  • Make
    • Crafting
  • Chickens
    • Meet The Girls!
    • Coop & Run
    • Chicken Cam (Run)
    • Chicken Cam (Coop)
You are here: Home / Food / How To Blanch Green Beans | How-To Tuesday!

How To Blanch Green Beans | How-To Tuesday!

August 12, 2014 by Brett Youmans 10 Comments

Blanching is a simple cooking technique that helps to preserve the vibrant color and crisp texture of some fresh fruits and vegetables. Someone at work the other day asked me what the cooking term blanching is so I thought it might make a good start to How-To Tuesdays here on the ‘ol blog.  Blanching is a simple cooking technique that helps to preserve the vibrant color and crisp texture of some fresh fruits and vegetables.  When you blanch something you place it into boiling water for a specified amount of time and then plunge it into an iced water bath to stop the cooking process.

If you can boil a pot of water, you’re halfway done!

We are knee deep in green beans this time of year.  One of the most efficient ways to store green beans for later enjoyment is to freeze them.  According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, it’s necessary to blanch green beans because it stops enzyme actions which can cause a loss of flavor, color, and texture.  Further, it cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color, and helps to prevent loss of vitamins.

So, there you go.  Blanching 101.

There’s nothing better than freshly picked green beans and it’s so easy to preserve the fresh-picked flavor.

Fresh green beans ready to be picked.

Bring a pot of water to the boil and place the beans in for 3 minutes.  Remove them immediately and place in an iced water bath.  Finally, drain of excess water and place in plastic freezer bags.  I use a vacuum sealer and if you’ve never tried one, I can definitely recommend the FoodSaver system.  Depending on what you’re blanching, the time may vary.  Here’s a handy list of recommended times.

Blanching is a simple cooking technique that helps to preserve the vibrant color and crisp texture of some fresh fruits and vegetables.

How To Blanch Green Beans
 
Print
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
3 minutes
Total time
13 minutes
 
Blanching is a simple cooking technique that helps to preserve the vibrant color and crisp texture of some fresh fruits and vegetables.
Author: Brett@GreenThumbWhiteApron.com
Recipe type: Side Dish
Ingredients
  • 3 quarts water (plus additional water and ice for iced water bath)
  • 1 pound fresh green beans, washed and ends trimmed
Instructions
  1. Bring water to boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
  2. Add the green beans, return to boil, and cook until beans are bright green and crisp-tender, 3 minutes.
  3. Transfer beans immediately to the bowl of ice water. When beans no longer feel warm to touch, drain in colander again and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
  4. Freeze beans as desired.
Notes
It’s necessary to blanch green beans because it stops enzyme actions which can cause a loss of flavor, color, and texture. Further, it cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color, and helps to prevent loss of vitamins.
3.2.2708

 

The post How To Blanch Green Beans | How-To Tuesday! first appeared on GreenThumbWhiteApron.com.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Filed Under: Food, Garden, Popular Posts Tagged With: #HowToTuesday, blanching, garden, green beans, vegetable blanching

« How Does Your Garden Grow? | August, 2014
Quick Pickled Dilly Beans »

Comments

  1. Debra @ Worth Cooking says

    August 12, 2014 at 6:35 pm

    Hey Brett, I just saw your comment on the “Little Victories” post from… oh back in March. I thought it was cool we launched on the same day so wanted to come say hi.

    I agree that blanching is a great way to get a very fresh flavor 😀

    Reply
    • Brett Youmans says

      August 12, 2014 at 7:35 pm

      Thanks, Debra and back ‘atcha! It’s been a rough couple of months with the Martha thing but I’m happily moving on!

      Reply
  2. Eileen says

    November 25, 2014 at 1:21 pm

    I discovered your How To Blanch Green Beans | How-To Tuesday! | GreenThumbWhiteApron.com page and noticed you could have a lot more hits. I have found that the key to running a popular website is making sure the visitors you are getting are interested in your subject matter. There is a company that you can get visitors from and they let you try their service for free. I managed to get over 300 targeted visitors to day to my website. Visit them here: http://alun.in/7

    Reply
  3. Rachel says

    June 17, 2018 at 8:23 pm

    How would you suggest to cook these green beans once they are blanched? Im looking to eat them on their own.
    Just microwave or steam? Or are they best in a recipe?

    Reply
    • Emily says

      August 11, 2018 at 9:42 am

      I’ve steamed blanched frozen green beans, and put them right into a recipe…. I use them just like I would a frozen bag from the store.

      Reply
  4. SherrieBiggie says

    July 9, 2018 at 4:25 am

    Hi blogger, i’ve been reading your articles for
    some time and I really like coming back here. I can see that you probably don’t make money on your
    website. I know one simple method of earning money, I think you will like it.

    Search google for: dracko’s tricks

    Reply
  5. Steve says

    November 27, 2019 at 10:00 pm

    You lost me at the ice bath. You aren’t blanching the beans. If there’s an ice bath, you are parboiling them. But, it’s been so long since you posted this, maybe you’ve gained more experience since then and understand the difference in the two techniques.

    Reply
    • Nicole Ritchot says

      August 26, 2020 at 9:34 am

      Blanching always requires an ice bath to stop the veggie from further cooking. It’s in all the really old canning- freezing cook books and it’s how my mom blanched beans. I trust my mom.

      Reply
    • Chaz Thompson says

      October 10, 2020 at 12:17 pm

      Actually you have that backward.

      https://tinyurl.com/y53aotgh

      Reply
  6. Donald says

    July 26, 2020 at 3:37 pm

    Hey I messed up. I put my beans up while they were still warm. Are they ruined?

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Emily Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Chicken Cam
Welcome to Green Thumb White Apron! I’m Brett — avid gardener, recipe developer, crafter, renovator, traveler—and I love to share. Join me as we grow, eat, make, see, and do something. Together! read more →
  • Connect
  • Subscribe
  • Search
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
eNewsletter

Subscribe For Email Updates

Foodgawker

my foodgawker gallery

Dwellinggawker

my dwellinggawker gallery

Craftgawker

my craftgawker gallery

Tastespotting

my photos on tastespotting

Healthy Aperture

my healthy aperture gallery

HomeTalk

Bloglovin

Follow on Bloglovin

CCC Blog Network

CCC Blog Network

Categories

  • Connect
  • Subscribe
  • Search
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
eNewsletter

Subscribe For Email Updates

Popular Posts

Beets are one of the first things I get planted in the garden every year. Depending on the variety, they’re ready from seed to table in about 60 days. While we mostly associate this versatile vegetable with its deeply hued taproot, did you know the leaves are also edible? As they grow to maturity in the garden, I enjoy clipping the leaves for fresh crisp salads and quick stir-fry dishes. GreenThumbWhiteApron.com
Garden Salad Gin & Tonic | GreenThumbWhiteApron.com
Cucumber tendril climbing up a rusted metal trellis. GreenThumbWhiteApron.com
Photo of jelly jars filled with Lavender-Strawberry Jam Spritzer Cocktail. We make strawberry jam every year and always have it on hand so it seemed natural to use it as a sweeter in this cocktail. When mixed together with a bit of lavender syrup, vanilla infused vodka, and club soda, you’ve got something quite special. GreenThumbWhiteApron.com
Strawberry blossoms are an indication of a heavy crop this year.
Perfect Steamed Eggs! The only sure-fire trick is to use old eggs. As eggs age, they gradually lose moisture through the pores in their shell and the air pocket at the tip expands. The pH of the whites also changes, going from a low pH to a relatively high pH, which makes them adhere less strongly to the shell. Farm-fresh eggs will always be tricky to age. Ideally, buy your eggs a week or two before you plan to boil them and let them age in the fridge.

© 2021 · McQ Web Design · Admin