Yellow wax beans are very nutritious high protein vegetables. When the season is right, there is plenty available in the garden or the stores. The best way to keep them fresh is to store them right after harvest or to buy them fresh and store them for winter. When you have a lot on hand, can you freeze yellow wax beans?
The answer is yes; you can freeze yellow wax beans. Freezing them is the best option for storing yellow wax beans. You could also put them in brine or dehydrate them, but freezing them is the best way. Frozen yellow wax beans can be used in a variety of winter soups, salads, or sauces or stir-fries, allowing you a variety of healthy choices.
Can You Freeze yellow wax beans
Yes, you can freeze yellow wax beans or string beans or snap beans or green beans with or without blanching them.
Storing yellow wax beans in the freezer allows you to keep them at their best for longer. Freezing homegrown yellow beans is a bit different than freezing store-bought. The difference is that usually, homegrown yellow beans are frozen right after they are harvested.
With store-bought, timing is essential. When you decide to freeze a large batch of yellow beans check every few days in your local store, on which days fresh vegetables arrive. Yellow wax beans sold in stores are not always fresh, so it is best to purchase yellow wax beans or green beans when they are fresh and freeze them right away.
ESSENTIAL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT FOR FREEZING FOOD
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What to do before freezing yellow wax beans
Any beans, yellow wax beans, green beans, or string beans may last for as long as 5 days in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. Unless you plan to freeze beans the same day, store them in the fridge until you are ready to freeze them.
Yellow wax beans should be stored in the refrigerator unwashed.
Also, do not snap off the ends or do not remove the strings. You should do that right before you freeze them. If you snap off the ends or remove the strings days before freezing, yellow wax beans will get the brownish color where the ends and strings are attached. Keep them in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days if ends were snapped off, and strings were removed.
How to freeze yellow wax beans
Freezing without blanching
Freezing raw or unblanched yellow wax beans or other stated beans is relatively simple.
The first thing you need to do is to snap off the ends of a bean. When you snap the ends, pull towards the pod, which will help you remove strings.
Then wash and drain the pods. Package them in plastic bags and put them directly into the freezer. You can store yellow wax beans, without blanching them, for about 8 months to a year. It is best to place a label with a date on storage bags, so you will easily see when 8 months are gone.
Freezing with blanching method
Blanching before freezing is one of the most known methods. You can freeze yellow wax beans without blanching with no problems, but be aware that if you blanch them before freezing, they will freeze better and keep longer in the freezer than raw yellow wax beans.
Like other vegetables and fruits, yellow wax beans contain enzymes and bacteria, and other microorganisms, which over time, begin to break down the bean, altering its flavor, color and texture.
When yellow wax beans are blanched, either by water, steam, or microwave, this part-cooking process stops the action of the enzyme and kills microorganisms. Blanched yellow wax beans will freeze better and keep longer in the freezer than raw yellow wax beans.
Blanched or partially cooked yellow wax beans or green beans will keep their quality for about a year in the freezer. If you are lucky enough to have a vacuum sealer, you can freeze them even longer than 12 months. As with other frozen vegetables and meat, their texture can be affected slightly after a longer period.
The process of blanching yellow wax beans is straightforward. Start with snaping the ends off and pull out the strings. It is best to do so because otherwise, you won’t like the texture of the bean when they are cooked.
Then cut them into thirds and wash them thoroughly with cold water.
Boil a large pot of water, insert a sift if you have it, or just use a slotted skimmer for getting the beans out of the boiling water.
Then drop a handful of yellow wax beans into boiling water and leave them to boil for 3 minutes. Work in batches because if you put too many beans at once, the water will stop boiling, and you won’t get a proper blanching effect.
After 3 minutes, take the yellow wax beans out of boiling water and drain them. The essential step is to stop the cooking process. You stop the cooking process by cooling them down immediately.
You can cool them down by placing them in a large container full of ice or just run cold water over them until they are completely cold.
Freezing food is a perfect way to keep it fresh. Check out also how to freeze sardines, parsley, or ginger garlic paste.
How to Defrost yellow wax beans
Yellow wax beans or other snap, string, or green beans, don’t need to be defrosted before use. If you defrost yellow wax beans, they will lose some texture.
To defrost them, put frozen yellow wax beans out of a bag and in a sift. Putting them in a sift will ensure the excess water to run through. If you don’t put them in a sift, they will be much soggier after they defrost.
But as mentioned before, yellow wax beans have a better texture if you don’t defrost them. Simply take a frozen bag of beans out of the freezer and put them directly into your hot or boiling dish.
What to do with excess yellow wax beans or green beans
So, what to do with excess yellow wax beans or green beans? Yellow wax beans, which have already been cooked, will keep for around four days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container. They can also be frozen ready-cooked, although they will lose some of their texture and flavor.
The best way to store yellow beans is to freeze them. But what if your freezer is too small and you are still left with a bunch of beans? What is the best way to use these excess beans?
Pickling or dehydrating yellow wax beans is also a great way to store them.
To make pickled yellow wax beans, simply prepare a brine with vinegar and spices. Bring it to a boil. Put washed yellow wax beans into a mason jar and pour hot brine over, so the beans are completely covered in brine. Cool them down and store them in a dark and cold place.
Dehydration yellow wax beans are also a great way to enjoy a healthy snack. Before dehydrating, first, wash and blanch the yellow beans. When blanched, place them in a dehydrator tray. Be careful, so they don’t overlap. Dehydrate the yellow wax beans for 6-8hours at 125°F and 135°F. When don, store them in an airtight container or even better, in a vacuum-sealed bag.
What is the easiest way to prepare
Yellow wax beans are nutritious and budget-friendly, and whether you use them fresh or frozen, they add texture and flavor to stews, soups, salads, stir-fries, and more. After boiling yellow wax beans, sautéing them is a great way to let their flavors shine through.
All you need to do is add them together with seasoning to a frying pan, add some oil and gently sauté them for a few minutes with some cracklings or finely chopped garlic. If you add a little finely chopped parsley and spread some freshly grated cheese to the yellow wax beans, you will get a rich side dish that will complement many recipes.
Summary
In summary, yes, you can freeze yellow wax beans and freezing them is easy to do but is best done after they have been blanched, as this helps stop it degrading as much in the freezer. Once you take it out of the freezer, yellow snap beans can be used for soups and sauces, or you can just put frozen yellow wax beans straight to your saute or stir fry.
You can also freeze leftover cooked yellow wax beans, but this is more prone to losing texture and will not keep in the freezer as long as blanched yellow wax beans will.
Sources:
Can you freeze yellow or green wax beans https://tinyurl.com/y3x7j3mq
How to freeze: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/bean_green.html
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