A heavy bean plant keeps producing faster than most kitchens can eat the pods, and a frost will finish the lot overnight. Blanching and freezing is the quickest way to bank a late glut of runner or French beans before the plants go over, and it keeps them close to fresh until next summer.

Blanch and Freeze a Glut of Runner or French Beans

What you need

2 kg runner or French beans picked young, before the pods toughen
1 large bowl for the ice bath
1 bag ice cubes to chill the water fast
6 freezer bags
1 slotted spoon or tongs
1 marker pen for labelling bags

Step by step

Top and tail the beans. For runner beans, run a knife down the seam and pull away any string before slicing; cut all the pods into even 3-4cm lengths.
20 min
Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil, with enough water to cover the beans and still move freely.
10 min
Drop the beans in and blanch for 2 minutes if French beans, 3 minutes if runner beans, timing from when the water returns to the boil.
3 min
Lift the beans straight into the bowl of ice water to stop them cooking, and leave until completely cold.
5 min
Drain well and pat dry with a tea towel. Wet beans clump into a solid block in the freezer instead of freezing loose.
10 min
Pack into freezer bags in meal-sized portions, press out as much air as possible, and label each bag with the contents and date.
10 min
Lay the bags flat on a tray in the freezer until solid, then stack them upright to save space.
2 min

Afterwards

Wipe down the pan, board and ice bowl before they're needed again. Frozen beans hold their texture for about 8 months at a steady -18°C; after that they soften, though they stay safe to eat. Use the oldest bags first, and cook straight from frozen rather than thawing first.

Questions

Can I freeze beans without blanching first?

You can, but unblanched beans lose colour, texture and flavour within a few weeks. Blanching stops the enzyme activity that causes this, so the beans keep much longer.

Do all runner beans need stringing?

Older pods usually do. Snap one in half to check; if it breaks cleanly with no fibre pulling away, you can skip stringing that batch.

How long do frozen beans actually keep?

About 8 months at a steady -18°C before texture starts to suffer. They remain safe well beyond that, just softer once cooked.

Can I blanch French and runner beans in the same batch?

Keep them separate. Runner beans need a minute longer in the water, so a mixed batch leaves one type under- or over-done.