I browned a little bacon and onions and cooked the beans in that. I also added chicken broth instead of water.

We do the same except for the chicken broth - we use just the juice they were canned in or just a bit of water if frozen and microwave the bacon first so most of the grease is gone.

Is it the bacon that you consider unhealthy? Or the broth? Why? Nothing wrong with a small amount of cooked bacon and sure nothing wrong with the beans or the onions.

Dave

Digdirt, its the bacon grease. I know a little is not bad but I just found out my chorestrol is a little high and i am suppose to be cutting all that out. I sure don't want to have to gone on medicine for it. When you get to be 62 you begin to think about things like that more. I will have to start draining the grease off I guess.
Josieoh-05

I use a little olive oil and garlic...sometimes a little onion. we love garlic and it gives the beans a wonderful flavor. I practically stir fry them.

I don't like the texture and flavor of frozen beans so always can them.
Not much seasoning needed for me. Just drain the juice, microwave and maybe add a little butter substitute.

Brummel & Brown made with yogurt is very good, BTW!
For a substitute anyway. Nothing beats the real thing, but I don't want the calories!

Deanna

We just saute ours quickly in a small bit of olive oil and add a dash of lemon juice or lemon-pepper seasoning. Funny, I don't care for canned green beans, so mine are always frozen. Different strokes...

I'm another who prefers them canned, or fresh cooked with tomatoes/onion/bacon :)

But for quick easy frozen, try just a tablespoon or two of sesame oil in a large skillet, saute, add approx the same amount of soy sauce.

Agreed! To each his (her) own!
I do think some of the differences are based on what we're "used to". I grew up eating canned beans, so that seems/tastes normal to me.

Others may have always had fresh, or frozen. That's their "normal".

I sure don't think it matters, and one day we may be inspired to try things a new/different way. Who knows?

:-)

Deanna

I'm another person who likes canned beans better than frozen ones, plus I never have freezer room for things like beans, it's all taken up with beef, pork, a couple dozen ducks...

Josie, I like my beans seasoned just like yours, maybe add a handful of slivered almonds. But, since I have very high cholesterol and am on medication, I try to limit my bacon consumption. (sigh)

I've also sauteed onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil, added the beans and some tomatoes and let it simmer down, they were good that way too.

Annie

I always pour off the water they're canned in, seems they taste better, then add however much I need to cook. Doesn't take much and just a little bacon grease, less than a tablespoon full, or a strip of bacon.

jude

I grew up eating fresh, steamed beans, and that is still how I like them best. Nice and tender-crisp with just little salt and pepper - yum!
I am a freezer of green beans because I don't care for canned. I read once (and it may have been here) to kind of stir fry frozen beans. I heat a little water in a saucepan over high heat until boiling, add the frozen beans (not thawed) and cook - stirring often - until hot and tender. It doesn't take long, and tastes pretty close to fresh.

I boil my frozen beans for 2-3 minutes depending on the amount. Drain, put in 1-2 tbsp butter or olive oil and stir around until melted and coated. Add some garlic salt or garlic powder. Yum! Not as good as fresh of the plant, put a thousand times better than from the store!

I had some frozen snow peas in the freezer which I felt needed eating before the "deadline" - so steamed them for a few minutes. They went into the blender and made into a "pea slurry" - then milk and seasoning added. I use canned evaporated milk for most soups, although half and half would be nicer. For seasonings, garlic salt, a bit of Thai pepper or tabasco. When ready to eat, warm in the microwave for a fresh early spring veggie tasting soup.

I'm sure beans would also work in that recipe, although can't recall if I ever tried it that way.

Not too bad. Otherwise, I like my beans "garlic dillied" and pickled - or fresh picked and steamed.

Bejay

I have been eating freezer snow peas and sugar snaps myself bejay. I sauteed them with olive oil, a little garlic, a little tony chachareze spice mix. I like them better than most green beans I tried frozen.

I like fresh beans steamed, grilled, or stewed in tomatoes.

For frozen beans I sautee them with a little olive oil, minced smoked peppers (hot, mild or a mix), some minced garlic and a little veggie broth that I make and store in 1 cup amount. The smokiness of the peppers is reminiscent of ham hock. I have also made soup like bejay described for peas, but using frozen green beans, very good. If I do not want to use milk or cream, I just add a little mashed potato and almond cream/milk. Zero cholesterol and yummy.

I have never had canned beans except from the store. I am sure there is not comparison but would not choose to have them canned. What I make is pickled dill beans, and those we eat in salads together with other fresh veggies or snack on them. I love them and mix several varieties in the same jar.

I grew the flat, Italian type of green beans this year. I just cooked up my first package I froze - they were mush!! I was so disappointed!! I blanched them and then froze them, and pretty much just brought the water to a boil and stopped when I went to cook them, but they just all turned to mush. They were SO delicious all summer too so that made it doubly disappointing because I was expecting a similar taste. I don't think I overcooked them, but I guess I did! I only have one other package in the freezer - I'm going to let them thaw and just toss them in already boiling water just to heat thru and see if that works better! I do plan on growing them every year and since I don't have a pressure canner, I can't can mine, I have to freeze them, so I want to do it right next time!

Lisa

P.S. - Ok, anyone else had just about enough of these pop-up ads that won't go away when you click on the "X"??? I understand sites have to make money, but come on already!! Could they make it more annoying??!! I can't proof my post because the d*mn ad won't go away!!!!

lisazone6, this is a good question for the legumes, peas and beans forum. From reading member's postings there I remember that supposedly the french fillet type beans (like Kentucky Wonders and Fortex) freeze better than the romano type (like Garafal oro). The Romano type pickled very nicely for us, and I knew they would not freeze well, but at one point during the summer I was in a big rush to get out of my place (air was barely breathable due to the huge station fire near me). So I put them in ziplock bags in the freezer...and i have been using them in the dog food. The dogs do not mind them and at least they did not go to waste, but next year I will pickle a lot more of them. The fillet type freeze well, and the pea pods are wonderful frozen (both the sugar snaps and the snow peas). So my recommendation is that you eat fresh or pickle the Romano types, and freeze only the french fillet types. Perhaps there is a Romano type that freezes well, and maybe an even better variety for freezing in the french fillet category. Maybe someone here knows, if not, I suggest asking in the bean forum.

I have never found a Romano variety that freezes well. Their shape/make-up just don't seem to tolerate it. We tried steam blanching them for less than a minute then into ise water and then to the freezer (per the NCHFP instructions) - still mushy.

But they do can well. Perhaps it's time to invest in a pressure canner Lisa if that's the type you wish to grow. ;)

As to the pop-ups - it is a chronic browser problem. Switch to Firefox with its Ad-Block Plus - no ads and no pop-ups and 5x the speed. If you wish to remain with IE for some reason then about all you can do is clean your cache out daily.

Dave

I know this is contrary to the Ball Blue Book recommendation, so please accept it for your own consideration.

For my fresh snap and snow peas, I pick fresh, rinse them off, then freeze them on a plastic tray in my quick-freeze refrigerator. They freeze very quickly, and I'm lucky to have a freezer that works that fast. Last year, I tried the same technique with the Blue Lake pole beans that I grew. I didn't blanch them.

They seemed to be more palatable when preserved that way, and as I posted, using them in a creamed soup has proven to be an acceptable way to eat them, especially served with home made sour dough bread, toasted with some Romano cheese on top.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

Dave, my computer has Vista and I use IE and don't have pop ups at all unless I'm not logged in. I run the free AVG virus software with the pop up blocker.

Elery runs FireFox and he DOES get pop ups, LOL, so I think it's serendipity! I don't know what he has for a pop up blocker.

Annie

I'm using IE with Windows XP (old - I know). However, I do have McAfee Security Center running. I hate it sometimes because it asks that scans be run so often. But I haven't had but about 2 pop-ups since using it.

Sorry - I know how frustrating those durned things can be.

Bejay