How to freeze fresh broad beans, raw or cooked, during the spring and summer period, this very important legume is available. It can be used in many recipes, which is why it’s good to stock up for off-season periods.
The frequent question is whether it’s better to freeze fresh broad beans raw or cooked. There is no definitive answer; it all depends on what we plan to do with them. Certainly, blanched beans maintain their organoleptic characteristics longer. But nothing stops us from freezing fresh raw beans if we’re in a hurry to preserve them and know we’ll consume them within 3/6 months.
How do you cook frozen beans? In any way and in any recipe you plan to use them, there will be no difference from having them fresh or frozen, and they should be used directly from the freezer.
Before we see how to proceed with the various freezing methods, I’ll leave you some recipes with broad beans.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- to taste broad beans
Steps
To proceed with how to freeze cooked fresh broad beans, the first thing to do is shell them.
Remove the central string by pulling the stem from the pod, press to open, and crack the pod.
Detach the beans with a gentle press and collect them in a container.
Rinse under running water.
If you want to freeze them cooked, at this point, boil some water. As soon as it reaches boiling point, toss them in the water and cook the beans for a maximum of 3 minutes. Drain in a colander, let them cool, then transfer them into a freezer bag. Seal well, write the storage date, and freeze.
If you want to freeze raw, after rinsing them under running water and letting them drain, place them on a kitchen cloth, pat dry, then transfer them into a freezer bag. Seal well, write the storage date, and freeze.