Freeze the Beans

 Green beans galore!  Whether you pick them in El Salvador or Wisconsin, ejotes or green beans often come in great number in a short time.  If you find yourself with an abundance of green beans, why not consider preserving them?

Freezing beans is very easy, and frozen beans taste great in the winter or dry season.  Follow these step by step instructions to safely preserve your green beans:

1)  Thoroughly wash the beans, being certain to rub off any soil that clings to the beans.

2)  Trim the ends off of the beans, and cut away any insect or critter damage or rusty spots.

3)  Use a stock pot and bring water to a boil.  Use enough water so that the beans can swim freely.  Dump the beans into the boiling water, keeping the heat on high.

4)  Wait until the water starts bubbling and set a timer for 4 minutes.  Let the beans boil for exactly 4 minutes.  Carefully remove the beans from the heat and dump them into a colander which is sitting in a big bowl of cold water or immediately run cold water over the beans.  (The

cold water stops the cooking process.)

5)  Make sure your hands are very clean or use a clean tongs and place beans immediately into freezer bags or clean containers.  (Beans will still be warm.)  Be sure to label the bags with the date and place them into the freezer.