How to Freeze Fresh Beans Using Pillow Cases

Keep your beans fresh all winter long.

As the summer comes to an end, garden-fresh beans and peas come into season. You can extend the bean season well into the winter by tossing them into the freezer. Its the simplest method of preservation and beans, unlike some other vegetables, are hearty enough to be frozen without blanching. Pillowcases are uniquely suited to freezing beans. You can fill a large pillowcase with your garden's entire bounty of beans and add or remove as many as you want throughout the season.

Instructions

1. Shell the beans as you would normally. Carefully inspect them and throw away any overripe or dried out beans. Do not rinse them, otherwise they will stick together once frozen.

2. Pour the beans into a 100 percent cotton pillowcase. Choose a thick pillowcase with a high thread count to help better protect the beans from cold temperatures. Spin the pillowcase to seal it shut.

3. Place the bag in your freezer and keep the beans frozen until you are ready to use them. When the time comes, cook the beans as you would normally.

References

• Growing Food and Kids; Easy Freezing: Peas and Okra; Nancy Mann Jackson; August 2009
• Horticulture; Reader Tip: Freezing Garden Peas
• Pick Your Own: How to Freeze Lima Beans, Broad Beans, Butter Beans and/or Pinto Beans