Freeze green beans the easy way – spend less time and have a better texture after freezing by NOT blanching them first, really! We tested blanched vs. unblanched green beans and our whole family agrees – this is a case where easier actually is better.
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Welcome – I’m so glad you’re here! Easy recipes are my favorites and this recipe showing how to freeze fresh green beans without blanching is the definition of easy. You can find lots more simple preserving recipes in the preserving recipe index, including how to freeze snap peas without blanching, an amazing Addictive Tomato Chutney, and AOC’s popular Easy Garlic Refrigerator Pickles.
Can you freeze raw green beans? Yes, absolutely! Green beans are a vegetable that takes well to freezing and are easy to use in recipes from frozen.
But if you want to spend less time freezing fresh green beans and have a better texture after freezing, follow the simple steps outlined here to freeze green beans without blanching them first. We put it to the test and we all agreed – the beans frozen without blanching were the best.
Wait, don’t you have to blanch green beans before freezing?
Yes, I know almost everything you read says the “proper” way to freeze beans is to blanch first (immerse in boiling water for about 30 seconds, then plunge into an ice bath). Yes, I know there’s an enzyme that will make the beans break down quicker in the freezer if you store them without blanching.
However, I tested this years ago because our family wasn’t happy with the traditional way to freeze green beans. And I’d like to challenge you to do the same test and see what you think.
A Little Background
Our family used to eat canned green beans. That’s how I grew up and so I never liked the rubbery texture of frozen beans. When I started growing beans, I pickled and canned them and even learned to pressure can, just for green beans (though only a couple of times – pressure canning isn’t simple enough for me!).
But then we had a child – a picky child – who decided she didn’t like canned green beans anymore, but who would eat them if they were frozen or fresh. Since beans were one of only three vegetables she would eat, guess who started freezing beans?
Except I still didn’t like that texture (or the weird squeaking sound they can make as you chew…). So I decided to do some research online and found mostly the recommendation to blanch, of course, but I also found two rebel souls on gardening forums who said they didn’t blanch their beans and they came out “perfect.”
What, really? I had to try it.
The Test: Blanched vs. Unblanched Green Beans
First, I chopped up the beans like I normally did, but then I put them directly into freezer bags. Sheesh, this was easy.
Update: many people have asked about washing the beans first, so here’s my answer: I don’t. I garden organically and grow pole beans (here’s where I wax poetic about my favorite pole bean, Emerite) so the beans never touch the ground. I trust my cleanliness when picking them. You most definitely can choose to wash them – but you will need to dry them thoroughly before freezing to avoid crystals (you can use a trick I mention in this video to help dry them and/or lay them out for 10-20 minutes on towels).
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Next, I used my straw “vacuum sealer” trick to remove as much air as I could from the baggie with a straw before sealing and freezing.
Finally, I froze the bag for two weeks and then served them for dinner – which wasn’t easy when fresh beans were still available, that’s for sure. But a test is a test, so we persevered.
The verdict?
We couldn’t tell a difference from beans that had been blanched. I thought the texture was a little better, too.
BUT – maybe it was because it had only been two weeks. Maybe that enzyme takes longer to start breaking the beans down, as they say.
So, I froze ALL our remaining beans that way. Yep – I didn’t blanch any beans at all that year.
Then I waited to share the results with you until I knew that they could be frozen for longer than two weeks. I needed to be able to tell you if they’d last a whole year in the freezer and hold up like blanched beans.
So, can you freeze green beans without blanching them first?
Yes! They are just as good – if not better – than green beans we took the time to blanch in the past.
The texture seems better – and my family agrees with me. Really!
The following year with this method I could easily preserve 8 quart bags of beans in about an hour. It certainly goes a lot quicker when there’s no blanching involved!
How Long Do Frozen Green Beans Last?
Up to a year in a non-frost-free freezer (frost-free freezers may produce more freezer burn, so I’d try to use them up sooner).
So my challenge? Be a rebel like me – try it and tell me if you think so, too.
How to Freeze Green Beans Without Blanching Video
How to cook with unblanched frozen green beans:
No need to defrost the green beans – add them frozen to:
- casseroles
- soups and stews
- stir fries
- Side dish idea #1: Long-cooked (20 minutes) Green Beans with Bacon and Onions
- Side dish ideas #2: Roasted at 500 degrees – dump green beans frozen on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and seasoning, stir, add chopped onions if you like, and roast for 10-15 minutes.
I’ve preserved them for many years like this now and really will never go back to cumbersome blanching!
How to Freeze Green Beans Without Blanching
Ingredients
- Fresh green beans
- freezer bags
- straw, optional
Instructions
- Wash green beans if needed and dry completely. (See Notes below)
- Trim green beans ends and cut into 1 to 1-inch lengths (or desired size).
- Place in quart-sized zip-top freezer bags, removing as much air as possible with a straw (or other method) and seal.
- Label with date and what's in the bag, place in freezer and freeze for up to a year.
- To Use: No need to defrost - use frozen and roast in a 450 degree oven for 5-8 minutes, long cook with bacon, or use in casseroles, soups, and stews all winter long.
Notes
- Wash beans and then use a salad spinner to get as much water off as possible.
- Transfer beans to a towel on the counter and let sit until dry before freezing.
Nutrition
________________
2015 Update:
I’ve heard from a couple of readers who tried this method and didn’t care for it – and many more who’ve loved it like we do – and so my suggestion is to try this with a quart, freeze the green beans for about a week or two, cook them and see what your family likes.
I want to be clear that they are still like home-frozen green beans, not firm like fresh, but when cooked in soups and stews for 20 minutes or longer are just as good as blanched frozen beans. So the comparison should be to blanched frozen beans, not to fresh beans.
Recipes that use unblanched frozen green beans:
Long-cooked Green Beans with Bacon & Onion
Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Vegetable Soup
Slow Cooker Sweet Chili Chicken and Vegetables
This article has been updated – it was originally published in August of 2012.
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David says
Thank you very much for this information. It was very helpful, and a GREAT time-saver.
Have you tried any other vegetables with the non-blanching method?
Jami says
I’m so glad this was helpful, David. Yes, I’ve tried others – snap peas and corn – and also basil. I freeze peppers, and berries without blanching, but I don’t think that’s unusual.
D'Anne Olson says
Jami,
I grew up just outside Portland, OR and now live in the country in NE Ohio. We do a vegie garden every year so that we can have vegies during the winter. I did put up a few pints of beets, but found that after about a month that they had turned color and spoiled. Never had that happen before. Any ideas on canning the beets? I did suggest the freezing of them, but no one had ever heard of it before, especially since you never see them in the store that way, only in the can. I will be trying them that way next year. I just happened to come across your blog and decided to stop in for a visit. What part of Oregon are you in?
Thanks for the tips,
D’Anne
Jami says
Hi D’Anne! Quite the difference from Portland to Ohio in weather sometimes, isn’t it? 🙂 We’ve friends who did the same – grew up in Oregon and now live in Ohio and like it (especially the better home and land prices…). I’ve only canned pickled beets and they were fine for a year on the shelf. I do freeze them – did you see my article on that?
Thanks for the visit! We live in central Willamette Valley just outside of Eugene where I grew up, but we did live in Portland (Sellwood/Milwaukie area) for 15 years when we were first married (my husband’s family is there). Portland has changed SO much and we were glad to get out of the congestion and crowds!
Amy Woodard says
I’m so glad to hear this. I love hot weather, but several afternoons blanching when it’s 88 degs is not my idea of a great time. I grow beans to supplement my dogs’ food (plus they’re so easy to grow!) but they produce much faster than they’re consumed. My dogs will eat green beans regardless of their texture. Thank you!
Jami says
This sounds PERFECT for you, then, Amy!
Lori Jones says
Love being able to freeze green beans without blanching them. They are like having fresh green beans out of the garden in the middle of winter! ❤️
Jami says
Yep, that’s how we feel, too!
Anna Brock says
Thank you for the info. I have always pressure canned my green beans but that is really time consuming. I tried blanching but they were tough as a TV dinner. So I am raw freezing some this year.. FYI I have been raw freezing jalapeño peppers for a couple of years now,I wipe them off and put in freezer bags then take out the ones I want and the rest go back in the freezer for later. Thank you
Jami says
Hope you like these like we do, Anna! And thanks for that jalapeno tip.:)
GeriB says
You can teach an old gal new tricks. I’ve been gardening, canning and freezing for almost 50 years. After reading your tutorial last year I ordered Emerite and Fortex beans and I followed your easy method for freezing with amazing results. They are the best tasting green beans I have ever grown and are just perfect after freezing. I cannot believe I wasted so much time canning and blanching! What a blessing to find your method since I had a plethora of green beans! Thank you for the great tutorials.
Jami says
I’m SO glad, Geri – and good for you for being open to new things!! I think that’s so important as we age so we don’t be those people who are ‘stuck in the muds.’ Plus, look what new things we can learn. 🙂
Marie says
What aboutfreezing them whole
Jami says
You can try that! I don’t find them as easy to use that way in recipes, so I cut them all.
Mary Phillips says
I became interested in your cooking and recipes when I was looking for a speedy way to freeze fresh green beans without having to blanch them. So I had to check out a couple of your recipes. This is the first blog type site I have replied to so I’m not sure exactly how it works. I learned to cook as a young girl growing up on a farm. I think that’s why you interested me.
Jami says
This is exactly right, Mary – I always reply to comments here!
What a great privilege you had to grow up and learn to cook on a farm – I had to teach myself after I started my family. But however one comes to cooking and preserving, it’s all good – the important thing is to do it to keep healthy and that connection with the earth, right? 🙂
Thank you for writing and I hope you find other recipes that help you here!
Lauren Laird says
Hey Jami, thanks for the info. We also live in the Pacific Northwest, gotta save anything that we can grow in our short season. Beans galore this year so trying as many ways as can come up with to preserve them. Thanks much!
Jami says
Wonderful, I hope you enjoy these, Lauren – it sure does make faster work of the putting up!
Gayla Chisholm says
Can I freeze cooked green beans and bacon?
Jami says
You can freeze anything, Gayla, it’s just how it turns out that you may or may not like. 🙂 I would test this to see if the texture stays the same after freezing. If you like it, it may be a great way to have a side dish ready to go!
George says
Thank you you helped me so much now my 89 year old mother can easily freeze my pole beans for future use up to a year!
Jami says
You’re welcome – I’m glad she’s able to do this!
Beth Rankin says
I came across this post when googling for blanching information. LOL I am a commercial food processor working with small farms in my area (McMinnville, Oregon) to preserve their surplus. The one farmer who grows beans does not have surplus so I’ve never played this way but someone gifted me with 10 pounds last night and I knew I didn;t want to take the time to can them. Thanks for the shortcut!
Jami says
Hope you like them this way, Beth!
Sharon Vanderveer says
I have been canning and freezing beans for about 45 years and the one thing I was told about blanching was that it helps preserve the vitamins. I wished I knew for sure if it did. I would love to freeze green beans without blanching. It would save so much time.
Jami says
Well, from everything I’ve read, it’s mainly to stop the enzyme action that causes loss of color, flavor, and texture. Secondarily, it may “help retard loss of vitamins” according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation. However, they also state that blanching times are crucial: underblanching can activate the enzymes and is “worse than no blanching” and overblanching does cause the loss of vitamins and minerals.
In our home kitchens, I’m sure some over and under blanching occurs. 🙂 The main thing is that we don’t eat them if they’re blanched – they just have that squeaky texture we don’t like. So I’m good with the nutrients we get from our non-blanched beans since we are eating them (and I see zero change in color or flavor in our beans).
I do make it clear, though, that everyone should try it and it’s against the standard recommendations. If you feel it isn’t worth the loss of some nutrients (that no one has tested to get amounts -I looked and can’t find any numbers, unfortunately), then for sure don’t do it. 🙂
Kelly says
Have your tried cooking unbalanced frozen beans in the microwave? I often just throw my blanched frozen beans in a glass dish with a little water and cook them in the microwave because is is fast and easy.
Jami says
I haven’t found that to be a way we enjoy the beans, blanched or not. But I would try it with the unblanched to see how you like it!
Debbie Sandland says
I’m trying this… my normal recipe is a double-blanch, which works well, but is a lot of work.
Thanks for the tip
Debbie
Jami says
I hope you like it – be sure to test a bag first after a few days to be sure you do before doing your whole batch. 🙂
Gary Engstrom says
I tried your no blanch method, but did two things differently. First, rinsed them in cool water, then, because I used snap beans so instead of cutting, I simply snapped them. Instead of using a salad spinner, I piled them in a clean kitchen towel, brought the corners together and swing them outside. Instead of bagging them to freeze, I laid them out on baking trays and froze them that way, so they would freeze faster. Finally, I bagged them, sucking the air as you did, and back into the freezer.
Jami says
Thanks for outlining your method, Gary – I hope you like them!
Alisha says
Can you seal them in a vacuum sealer instead of ziplock bag?
Jami says
Sure!
Kerri says
If I freeze green beans just putting them in freezer bags, won’t they all stick together in the bag?
Jami says
If they are wet, yes, but if they are dry they don’t!
maria says
Thanks Jami for share information.
I will try your method and i Will let u know results.
Dixie says
Hello.
Last year after reading your website we decided to put all our garden Green beans up as you suggested. So easy, we’re now eating them, but they have a funny wang taste. They are flat Green beans and I cook them with bacon. Do you know why they taste so weird? Thank you.
Dixie
Jami says
Hmm, I’ve only ever frozen our filet-style green beans or small regular round beans (it’s just my preference) and obviously don’t notice that. I would think the long cooking with beans (one of my favorite ways to cook frozen beans) would temper them. Have you tried other cooking methods produce the same flavor (roasting, etc.)? If so, I wonder if it’s the type of bean?