There is some debate as to whether it is best to blanche beans first or not, so here’s our definitive opinion on the matter…
Firstly, it’s important to say that you don’t HAVE to blanche beans. You can simply top and tail them and pop them in a bag into the freezer. Easy. However, you will find that when you come to cook them they lose their colour and texture somewhat. That’s why we do prefer to blanche them. Here’s how:
- Trim/cut your beans
- Bring a pan of water to the boil
- Pop the beans in and boil for 1-2 minutes
- Strain the beans and plunge them into a big bowl of iced water to cool thoroughly
- Drain them well
- Lay the beans out flat in a single layer, not touching, on a tray (one that will fit in the freezer) and freeze for 1-2 hours
- Take them off the tray and put the beans into a freezer bag, then re-freeze.
This way, the beans will have a much better colour and texture when cooked, and also they won’t stick together in one massive clump in the freezer!