There’s a reason green beans are found on almost every holiday table — they’re high in essential nutrients, super versatile, and taste great inside a casserole or as a sautéed veggie dish alongside meat or fish. Yet they can spoil pretty quickly if they aren’t properly stored and cared for.
Luckily, as long as you take the right measures to keep green beans fresh, you’ll be able to savor their flavors and make the most of your purchase without spoilage. Here’s what to know about extending the shelf life of this year-round, popular green vegetable.
How to Store Green Beans In the Fridge
First off, don’t mess up at the grocery store and choose green beans that are close to rotting. “Purchase beans that have a smooth feel and a vibrant green color, and that are free from brown spots or bruises. They should have a firm texture and ‘snap’ when broken,” saysToby Amidor, MS, RD, nutrition expert and Wall Street Journal best-selling cookbook author.
Then, once you’ve brought them home, get them in the fridge. “Store unwashed fresh bean pods in a plastic bag kept in the refrigerator crisper. Whole beans stored this way should keep for about seven days,” she says.
If you plan to use them in an upcoming meal, wash them under running water. Remove both ends of the beans by either snapping them off or cutting them with a knife. If you end up having leftovers, you can put the green bean dish back in the fridge, but you’ll only be able to eat it for another 3-4 days, she says.
While you can keep green beans fresher through fridge storage, you can’t beat the life extension of a freezer. Storing them in the freezer can help get the most out of your green beans, especially if you couldn't help yourself and bought too many on your trip to the farmers market, she says.
“You can cook the green beans, such as blanch in boiling water for several minutes, and then allow them to cool. Then place in a resealable plastic freezer bag for up to 8 to 10 months,” she explains.
How to Tell When Green Beans Are Bad
Sometimes despite your best efforts, there’s nothing you can do to save those precious green beans. “Brown spots and bean seed shapes that are coming out of the shell means that they are starting to get old,” says Amidor. That means use them ASAP or be prepared to toss them in a day or so. And if the beans are already slimy and wet, they’re no longer safe to eat.
It's best to store your fresh green beans in the fridge, otherwise store green beans in the freezer if you want them to last longer. You can also store unwashed and unblanched green beans in the refrigerator for up to about seven days before you need to store your green beans in the freezer.
“Store unwashed fresh bean pods in a plastic bag kept in the refrigerator crisper. Whole beans stored this way should keep for about seven days,” she says. If you plan to use them in an upcoming meal, wash them under running water. Remove both ends of the beans by either snapping them off or cutting them with a knife.
Green beans get their vibrant color from the pigment chlorophyll. But chlorophyll, unfortunately, loses its luster in the presence of acids, and when a green bean cooks, its cells breakdown, allowing natural acids to escape and react with the bean's chlorophyll. To curtail color loss, simply limit the cooking time.
Green beans can be frozen in their raw state, but consider blanching and shocking them for the best results. Not only does cooking them this way lock in their vibrant green color, but Registered Dietitian and Chef Abbie Gellman says it also eliminates surface microorganisms and dirt, preventing deterioration.
Your cooked beans last about 3 to 5 days in the fridge. To store them, let the beans cool down after cooking, then pop them in the refrigerator within an hour. Getting them stored quickly and chilled in the fridge will help prevent the growth of bacteria.
The beans should then be placed in an airtight container or glass jar. Also in this case it is advisable to keep them in a dry and dark cool place;vacuum-store them; by removing excess oxygen from the product, we can store them for years; we can even choose to add oxygen absorbers inside the container.
To prevent this, place a paper towel in the bag or container to absorb extra moisture, and replace it as it gets damp. Keep green beans away from fruits and vegetables like apples, peaches, and avocados, which produce ethylene.
After freezing, the raw beans will be mushy in texture and flavorless. For the best results, don't skip the blanching process when freezing green beans. Dry the beans thoroughly before freezing. This will help avoid clumps and excess moisture.
Blanching. Your green beans will come out bright and crisp on the other side of freezing. It's just a quick boil then dunk in ice water to prevent overcooking. Science time: The ice bath stops enzyme actions that can cause a loss in flavor, color and texture.
Place green beans in the freezer for 30-40 minutes.Place dryer trays into the dehydrator and dry at 140°-145°F for 8-10 hours or until green beans are crisp and brittle. To store dried foods, place the dried food in plastic bags, press out air, seal or close, and then place in glass jars and tightly seal.
This includes all cooked leftovers, [chopped] fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products." On hotter days, this time frame is even shorter. "If the temperature is 90 degrees or above, foods should be [refrigerated] after only one hour," says Beauchamp.
You can make your green beans in advance and reheat to eat, or simply reheat any leftovers by placing them in the oven (on a baking sheet) at 350 until they are heated through. Because they are already cooked, it won't take very long at all (maybe 5-10 minutes) and can be done on a rack beneath another dish.
Beans in normal polyethylene (food-grade) bags have a shelf life of 1 year or more. Like most stored foods, colder storage temperatures will increase shelf life. When packaged in #10 cans or Mylar-type bags, with the oxygen removed, they have a shelf life of 10 or more years.
A few brown spots here and there on a bunch of green beans mean they're getting a little aged, and won't be the freshest beans you'll eat. But it doesn't mean you can't—or shouldn't eat them.
Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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