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Step 1
Wash beans thoroughly, removing any little dried blossoms or leaves. When you are preparing foods you want to remove any source of bacteria that could cause spoilage. After washing in cool water, place them in a colander to drip dry.
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Step 2
Take the time to find a comfortable place to sit back and relax and get ready to snip the bean ends. A sharp paring knife works well to snip the stem end off at the very tip. Some people like to snip both ends but the stem end is the only end that is a little tough. Have one bowl for the freshly snipped beans, one for the ends and the original bowl holding the beans. This is great to do with a couple of people as you can get some great conversation going while your fingers are busy snipping.
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Step 3
Prepare a large stock pot by filling it with water and bring to a boil, covering with a lid. Do not add salt as this will draw water out of the beans. Fill a large bowl with ice water about one half full. The whole reason for slightly boiling the beans is to stop the enzymatic processes that would cause the bean to spoil after time.
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Step 4
Drop the prepared beans into the rapidly boiling water and cover. After 3 minutes, remove them with a large straining spoon into a large bowl of ice water. Let them cool down and stop the cooking process for about 5 minutes, stirring a little.
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Step 5
The beans are now ready for draining and further processing such as freezing or fresh pack canning.
