In case you haven't noticed, I have a lot going on! That's why it's nice to have super easy ways to preserve things from the garden. For example, when I realized there was a crop of green beans that needed picking yesterday, I decided right then and there I was going to freeze them the "lazy" way.

Now, the "correct" way to freeze green beans is to bring a pot of water to a boil, drop in the green beans, and set the timer for 3 minutes. When the 3 minutes are up, immediately drain the green beans and submerge in a bowl or sink of ice water until fully cooled. Pat dry, place in freezer bags, and pop into the freezer. It's not hard, but it does take a wee bit of time, especially if you have a large crop of green beans.



However, a few years back, I discovered that this method (called "blanching") isn't absolutely necessary. Yes, scientists say it preserves the beans' nutrients best. But, actually, I rather prefer my green beans frozen without blanching. And not just because it's easy; I also find that not blanching the beans mostly does away with the weird squeakiness blanched and frozen green beans have!


The Lazy Way to Freeze Green Beans

1. Wash the beans in cool water. Thoroughly, pat dry.

2. Pinch off or cut the stem ends. If you like, pinch or cut off the tail ends, too. Leave the green beans whole, or cut them up, as desired.

3. Place the green beans in a freezer bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible.

4. Pop into the freezer.

It doesn't get any easier than this, folks!