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For the average gardener, green beans are easy to grow and have a great return on investment.
A few plants can feed you for a year if you preserve this well-loved vegetable at its summer peak. Green beans grow fast which means you can often get more than one batch from seed to harvest each year.
Growing green beans can help improve your soil for your other plants and leave it in better shape for next year. These are some of the best, simple ways to preserve green beans will help you get the most out of your hard work.
Freezing Green Beans
Freezing green beans is a great way to store fresh green beans for the long term. By blanching them before you toss them in the freezer you get to keep all of the flavor and crisp texture versus other storage methods.
Pick green beans at their prime. Destring if needed. Blanch for 5 minutes in boiling water then dunk into ice water.
Drying them before freezing will help keep them from sticking together. vacuum seal after freezing for long-term storage.
This is how we preserve our green beans. It is super easy to do.
Dehydrate Green Beans
If you are looking for a storage option for small spaces dehydrating is a great way to preserve your fresh green beans.
For the best results, you should blanch your green beans for dehydrating. While it is not a fun step when you have a large batch, it does help them dry to a better texture.
If you would like to add flavor you can mix coconut oil and spices together and drizzle over your green beans. Give them a good shake then place them on the dehydrator.
By the way, THIS is the dehydrator that I use and LOVE. I can dehydrate a decent amount of vegetables at once.
Canning Green Beans
If you prefer you are able to can green beans.
Canned green beans are great to use for a quick dinner. Green beans should be canned in a pressure canner because of their low acidity. The simple process makes them a great starter canning project for those new to pressure canning.
You can opt to can green beans with or without salt. You can add other vegetables like peppers to add flavor to your green beans before canning.
If you need a good book with some great canning recipes and instructions, I love this book.
Canning Green Beans
While green beans are not when you think about when you think about pickling they are great for making pickled veggies.
If you have ever made pickles than you are ready to go for this simple process. Just do the same thing with your green beans.
If you are looking for an easier way to preserve fresh green beans before they go bad you can actually toss them right into a jar of pickle brine from your last batch of pickles.
Reusing pickle brine is a great and cost-effective way to preserve vegetables before they go bad. You can usually do this twice before tossing the pickle juice. Make sure to store these in the refrigerator and use within two weeks.
If the pickle taste is not your style you can preserve green beans in a similar style by preserving them with salt. Salted green beans keep their flavor and texture.
I hope you found a way to preserve your green bean bounty. Being able to eat them throughout the year is so wonderful.
Other posts you might enjoy:
How to Preserve Strawberries
Ways to Preserve Tomatoes
Best Berries and Vegetables to Grow for Canning
