I usually only blanch about a minute to 90 seconds, and then into ice water immediately. In recent years, I grew many purple string beans and they seemed to hold up better to freezing. When I didn't blanch, they had an odd taste when frozen, then cooked. I now grow mostly yellow waxed bush beans and these have a nicer flavor, compared to purple, Kentucky Wonders and other bush and pole types. They all get cut, then a 1 minute blanch in boiling water, then plunged into ice water. I pour them out into a big bath towel to soak up most of the excess water. When preparing, I put the beans in a covered Corning Ware dish with NO ADDED WATER, and microwave them about 3 minutes. They come out very nice and the texture is nearly as good as fresh cooked. Usually I also add a dahs of salt when cooking in the microwave. I do the same thing with lima beans, cut corn, and peas. The corn gets blanched on the cob first, then its cut from the cobs and frozen. Nothing like fresh picked, and frozen within minutes. Maybe your freezer had accidentially thawed some, as a refreezing of the veggies can give a slimy coat.

My pole and bush beans came out the same way. I decided next year that we would just eat them fresh, or make dilly beans. Sorry - I've tried freezing two years in a row, and they just aren't worth it that way.

On the other hand, my dilly beans - made the Ball Blue Book way - turned out great.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

You need to blanch for 3 min. to deactive the enzymes that cause deterioration and spoilage in foods.
I do not like frozen green beans. I only can mine now.

Honestly, we prefer frozen at our house and do tons of them each year with no problem. We find the secret is to pick one of the varieties favored for freezing (Blue Lake is our fav), pick them while still young, steam blanch for 3 minutes, and IMMEDIATELY submerge them in ice water for 10 mins. Drain well, pack, and freeze.

Good luck.

Dave

I guess it takes all kinds - I like canned ones too. Are you immersing the hot beans in cold water? Perhaps it's the type of bean. I wonder if IQF-ing the beans after blanching would help. Spread them quickly on a cookie sheet and freeze; then collect the frozen beans into a container.

When I blanch mine, they are done in small batches and are cleaned and cut to size beforehand. I blanch in a LOT of boiling water and only allow it to reach boiling for aabout a minute more. That could be from 1-3 minutes. They get scooped out and are placed in a big colandar and repeatedly dunked into a big bowl of ice water. They get dunked several times and then sit there for about a minute or two. I removed them from the ice water, and allow them to drain a few minutes. Then into a big bath towel to help blot up the rest of the water for about 20 minutes. Then they get bagged and frozen. I don't usually have much clumping of the frozen beans. I do agree that some bean types don't freeze well and their end flavor isn't as tasty as fresh. Some even take on an odd taste that I dislike so they may get tossed. Lately, its the yellow waxed beans that work well for me, and they have a decent taste and texture even after several months on the freezer.

Are you immersing the hot beans in cold water?

Yes, as Ken also said - hot beans go right into the ice water. Far as I know that is the standard instructions for all blanched veggies you are going to freeze. The ice water is to stop the "cooking" process started by the blanching.

Dave

Thought I would add a "salvage" dish for string beans, just in case the plain ones are not too appetising.

Today, I steamed some frozen green beans that I grew this past summer, then made them into a fritata.

Here is the recipe I used.

One pkg frozen beans (about size of commercial).

1 cup dried bread crumbs.

4 eggs.

3/4 cup of Asaigo (or Roman/Parmesan) cheese - ground.

1 small clove garlic, minced.

Olive oil and a bit of butter to fry with.

Lemon salt/pepper (to taste).

Mix eggs, crumbs, cooked beans cut up, garlic, cheese, salt pepper -

Then fry in an egg pan in oil and butter, turning to cook eggs. Then firm up into a cake and cook till bottom is nicely browned. Top with grated cheese, slice thin.

Not too bad!

Any other ideas for mushy green beans out there?

Bejay

Hi All --

I appreciate the posts! It looks like I was doing everything you guys suggested... Grew almost all blue lake beans, which we liked best... Blanched for not more than 3 minutes, then immediately into ice water.

We like the flavor and actually the texture of the frozen beans, but have just had issues with a skin peeling off the outside of them. Perhaps next year I'll try blanching them for a little less time and see how they do...

Bejay -- that frittata sounds delicious. What we love to do with the frozen beans is thaw and then roast them with a little olive oil on some non-stick foil... About 20 minutes at 425 in the oven and they are browned and crispy -- my husband calls them vegetable popcorn!

Emily

There is always a been casserole too. The kind you see on commercials that use canned mushroom soup and the toasted fried onions. I never see the skins falling off mine. I don't like to blanch that long (3 minutes), as its almost a cooked bean then. When I do thaw and heat them, its without any water added, and is done in a covered dish in the microwave. Only 3 minutes in there and they are ready to eat. I'm just now enjoying the 2 year old cut corn I grew. Its a bit solid chunks, so I have to break it up some first. But I cook them the same way as the beans, in the microwave without any added liquids, just a bit of salt). I drain them once cooked and you would be surprised at how much water pours out. I add margerine and a bit of powdered 'Butter Buds', which make a much richer tasting flaver.

Interesting, Ken. We've always had a 2nd rate casserole when we use home-canned green beans in that recipe, and actually have been BUYING french-cup Stokely's just for holiday casseroles. Are you saying frozen ones do fine? We may have to freeze a few just for that reason.

"French cut", is thin slices lengthwise. Then, skins are more likely to seperate. I have used frozen beans all the time and only do a 2 minute blanch at most. Then a soak in ice water. Drained and frozen. Thsi years BIG batch of yellow waxed beans are great tasting and with great texture. If I were to place fresh cooked beans next to the frozen cookd beans, the frozen ones would be only slightly softer. Less microwaving will give me nearly the same texture as fresh. As mentioned, I don't add any water when cooking peas, beans, and corn. All get microwaved and are done in a covered casserole, then drained, seasoned and served. One time, I really wanted very fancy beans and bought fresh string beans and slit every single one into French cuts. Then, toasted slivered almonds cooked in butter, and added these to the Frenched beans. Great way to serve them, like peas with tiny pearl onions in a butter sauce.

re: french cut green beans. I've always canned just a few jars with the french cut. (lots of extra trouble) Odd that they taste different. Would you believe one year I exhibited them at the county fair, and the judge wrote back "why did you slice them longways" I'm not sure we ever saw her again.

Slicing lenthwise is for those beans who used to be a bit stringy. Today, they have bred out that string, but the name stayed. Looks like that judge was not familiar with things of unusual shapes and textures. I still much prefer a frozen bean to a canned. In my house, I have very few things in actual metal cans you buy at the store. Recently, I roasted all my sweet red peppers and removed their skins and seeds, and canned them with a dash of ascorbic acid, acid blend, salt, and some polysorbate as a preservative. I didn't pressure can them either, but did quite a long BWB process on them. Opened a jar the other day and they were great, but a bit softer than I was hoping for. Love them when mixed with pasta, chicken, cheese sauce, and brocolli. The peppers were ripe red pimento types with pointed ends and thick meat.

An old freezing green bean thread brought back to life.. It seems like we are going full circle now..