Wild green beans (also known as string beans, snap beans, or French beans) were growing in the New World when Columbus arrived - and while he did bring some green bean plants back to Europe, they were considered ornamental. The flowers were pretty, but the seed pods were tough and not pleasant to eat. Over time, however, humans selected and hybridized green beans that produced a more tender and edible pod. By1889, snap beans were available from Burpee, the nation's largest seed seller, and in 1894, the first stringless green bean was introduced. Today, there are probably thousands of varieties of green beans for gardeners to choose from - and there are many ways to safely and successfully preserve them. Here are the top eight:

1. Drying Green Beans, The Modern Way 

A simple way to preserve green beans is to pop them into an electric dehydrator. If the beans are large, or you simply prefer your green beans in smaller pieces, cut or snap the beans first. Place the prepared beans on the trays of the dehydrator in a single layer and set the temperature to 135 degrees F. The green beans are dry when you can snap a large piece in half and no moisture seeps from it. 

Store fully dried green beans in a glass jar with an airtight, metal lid in a cool, dark location. To use dried green beans, pour them directly into soups or rehydrate them in cool water for about 1 hour before draining and cooking. (Hot water will rehydrate the beans faster, but it also partially cooks them.) 

If desired, you may blanch the green beans before drying them, which helps preserve their color and nutritional value and will make larger green beans easier to rehydrate. To do so, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the green beans. After 3 minutes, drain and plunge the beans into ice water.

2. Drying Green Beans, the Old School Way  

Leather britches. Photo by Eiler Lyntha Scott.

Personally, I prefer the quality of green beans when they are dehydrated the modern way - but if you don't have a dehydrator, or you just want to give a nod to the homesteaders who came before you, creating "leather britches" (as the old-timers called them) is still a great way to preserve green beans. 

First, pinch off the stems of fresh green beans. (As with green beans dried the modern way, you may wish to blanch the beans first.) Then, using a large hand sewing needle threaded with kitchen string or quilting thread, pierce a green bean right through the middle (or at least one inch down from one end). To secure this bean, leave a tail about 2 inches long and tie the tail into a knot. Continue piercing more green beans until the string is full, but it's best to leave space between the beans, for good air circulation. Tie off the other end of the string to secure the green beans in place. Hang the green bean string in a dark, dry location. The beans are done drying when you can break open a large bean and no moisture seeps from it. Store and use exactly as you would green beans dried with an electric dehydrator (see above).

3. Pickled Green Beans (2 Ways)

Dilly beans can be safely water bathed.

Green beans are a low acid food and therefore must be pressure canned...unless you pickle them. "Dilly beans" is the traditional name for pickled green beans; they make a great snack, side dish, or addition to a salad. See the recipe I use by clicking here.

For a little something different, you may also water bath this 3-Bean Salad, which makes a great side dish. (Although oil is generally not considered safe for canning, this recipe is approved by The National Center for Home Food Preservation and is tested-safe.) 

3 cups green beans, washed, stems removed 

3 cups cooked or canned and drained kidney beans 

2 cups cooked or canned and drained garbanzo beans 

1 cup chopped onion 

2/3 cup chopped sweet pepper 

1 cup red wine vinegar (5% acidity) 

1 cup bottled lemon juice (It must be bottled juice, because the acidity in fresh lemon juice can vary too much, which could make this recipe unsafe.)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

1/2 cup olive oil 

1 teaspoon canning or non-iodized salt 

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. While waiting for the water to boil, fill a clean sink with ice water. 

2. Pour the green beans into the pot. When the water returns to a boil, begin timing 3 minutes. When 3 minutes have passed, drain the beans and plunge them into the prepared ice water. 

3. In a large bowl, combine the fully cooled green beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, onion, and sweet pepper. Set aside. 

4. In a large stainless steel pot, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, olive oil, salt, and water. Bring to a boil. 

5. Carefully add the bean mixture to the vinegar mixture and let it simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. 

6. Remove the pot from the burner and allow the mixture to cool until it's lukewarm. Refrigerate for 12 to 14 hours. 

7. Bring the bean mixture to a boil and ladle into hot pint-sized canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.* Makes about 5 - 6 pints.

4. Pressure Canned Green Beans (a Few Ways)

Pressure canned green beans.

If you don't want pickled green beans, but still want to can your harvest, here's the way to do it safely. You will need about 2 lbs. of fresh, young green beans per quart jar. 

1. Prepare the green beans by washing them and removing their stems. Trim the ends and snap into smaller pieces, if desired. 

2. Place prepared green beans into a pot and cover with water. Boil 5 minutes. 

3. Using a ladle, pack hot green beans into hot canning jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. If desired, add 1/2 teaspoon of canning or non-iodized salt to each jar. 

4. Cover the beans with hot cooking liquid, maintaining 1-inch headspace. 

5. Process jars in a pressure canner at 10 lbs. pressure: 20 minutes for pint jars and 25 minutes for quart jars.* 

In addition, Ball has several other pressure canned green beans recipes, including Lemon Garlic Green Beans, Balsamic Beans, and Green Beans and Mushrooms, all found in The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving.

5. Freezing Green Beans (2 Ways) 

To blanch or not to blanch frozen green beans?

Blanching green beans before freezing them is considered best because it helps maintain color and nutritional value. 

1. Wash the green beans. Remove the stems. If desired, snap into smaller pieces. 

2. Place a pot of water over high heat; bring to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare ice water in a clean sink. 

3. Once the water is boiling, add the green beans. When the water returns to a boil, begin timing 3 minutes. (If it takes more than a minute for the water to re-boil, you're putting too many green beans in the pot at one time.) Drain the beans and plunge them into the ice water. 

4. Once the beans are completely cool, drain thoroughly, pat dry, and pack into freezer-safe containers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. 

Some people - myself included - actually prefer to not blanch green beans before freezing them. I find these beans easily last a year in the freezer and their texture is much more like fresh beans. 

1. Remove the stem ends. If desired, chop or snap the beans into smaller pieces. 

2. Place the green beans in freezer bags. Partially seal the bags, then squeeze out any excess air. Seal completely and pop into the freezer. 

6. Lacto-Fermented Green Beans 

Fermented green beans. Photo by So Fuego Productions.

If you don't want to use electricity to preserve green beans, fermenting is handy...plus it aids gut health with good probiotics. 

Fresh green beans, washed, stems removed 

4 garlic cloves 

2 whole dill heads (or 2 fresh sprigs or 1 tablespoon dill seeds) 

1 - 2 bay leaves 

1 teaspoon mustard seeds 

1 teaspoon peppercorns 

1 tablespoon pickling or kosher salt 

1. Wash everything you will use (quart-sized canning jar, knife, utensils, your hands...) in hot, soapy water. 

2. Place the garlic, dill, bay leaves, mustard seeds, mustard seeds, and peppercorns in the bottom of the quart jar. Add the green beans, packing them tight. 

3. Pour 2 cups of non-chlorinated water into a saucepan and add the salt, stirring until it is dissolved. If needed, heat the mixture on the stove to get the salt to fully dissolve, then allow the brine to cool completely. 

4. Pour the cool salt brine over the green beans in the jar. 

5. Weight the beans down with a glass weight and cover the jar with a clean cloth secured with a bit of string or a rubber band. (Or use a pickle pipe.)

6. Place the jar on your counter, away from direct sunlight. Placing the jar in a bowl will help prevent messy brine overflow. Check the jar daily to ensure the beans are under the brine. If necessary, add additional brine. After a week, taste the beans. Keep fermenting until you like the taste, then store the beans in the refrigerator or other cold location. 

7. Freeze Dried Green Beans (2 Ways)

Home freeze drying allows you to preserve most of the green bean's nutrients and then store them for at least 20 years. (Not sure what the difference between dehydrated and freeze dried is? Click here for a full explanation.) There are two basic ways to freeze dry green beans, depending upon how you want to use them.

If you want to eat the green beans as a snack (without rehydrating them first), you don't need to blanch them. Simply trim off the stems, cut into pieces (if desired), and (if you wish) season. To get the seasoning to stick, you'll first need to lightly coat the beans in oil. This oil means the green beans won't last for years in storage (because the fat will go rancid), but if you plan on snacking on the beans within a few months, it will be fine.

If you want to use your freeze dried green beans for cooking, you should blanch them first, as described in the drying section, above. This ensures the green beans rehydrate well.

Pop the prepared green beans onto the trays of your freeze dryer, keeping them in a single layer, and turn on the machine. When the beans are fully freeze dried, store them in a glass jar with an air tight metal lid in a cool, dark location for up to a year, or place them inside Mylar bags with appropriate-sized oxygen absorbers, seal, and store for up to 20 years or so.

8. Salted Green Beans 

Before canning and freezing were used to preserve food, salting was an important preservation method. It may take about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds of green beans to fill a quart jar. 

1. Wash and dry the green beans. Remove the stems. 

2.Wash a wide mouth glass jar with hot, soapy water, rinse, and dry thoroughly. Place a layer of non-iodized salt in the bottom of the jar. 

3. Place a thin layer of green beans on top of the salt. Avoid overlapping the beans as much as possible. Press down on the beans, then add another layer of salt on top of them. Continue making thin layers of beans and salt, ending with a layer of salt. 

4. Place a lid on the jar and store it in a cool, dark location. For added safety, I use the refrigerator, but traditionally, salted food was kept in a cellar or other rustic fridge. 

The beans should remain fresh for many months. To use the beans, rinse with running water, then place in a bowl of fresh water for about 2 hours. Drain and use as you would fresh green beans. 

 * If you live above 1,000 feet above sea level, you'll need to add to the processing time of anything you can. For water bath canning, add the following: 1,001 - 3,000 feet - add 5 minutes 3,001 - 6,000 feet - add 10 minutes 6,001 - 8,000 feet - add 15 minutes 8,001 - 10,000 feet - add 20 minutes 

Cover Image by zoyachubby. 

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