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jal_ut
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Late Green Beans
I had some green beans coming on so I took a 5 gallon bucket and picked a bucketful of green beans. Now no one wants them. I don't really have time to bottle them, so what do I do with a bucketful of green beans?
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applestar
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I remove ends and strings if necessary and just freeze them. They last a while in regular freezer — maybe 3 months — and maybe 6 months in the deep freeze especially if you remove excess air and double bag in freezer ziplock in quart bags then gallon or 2 gallon bags. The frozen beans can be just broken up by hand or partially thawed then cut up with a knife, and tossed into soups and stews, quick cooked for typical green bean side dish casserole, etc. Just use them up before water crystals start freezing inside the bag or they get freezer burned.
In my house, one of our two cats love green beans and will start begging for them as soon as I unzip the freezer bag, only slightly less enthusiastically as when I take the can opener out of the drawer (whether I’m about to open a can of tuna or not
)
Of course if you have time to cook the beans into soup, casserole, etc. first, you could freeze them that way as well for quick extra later.
In my house, one of our two cats love green beans and will start begging for them as soon as I unzip the freezer bag, only slightly less enthusiastically as when I take the can opener out of the drawer (whether I’m about to open a can of tuna or not
)Of course if you have time to cook the beans into soup, casserole, etc. first, you could freeze them that way as well for quick extra later.
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jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
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"In my house, one of our two cats love green beans"
Interesting. We have three cats hanging out here. They are outside cats and do not come in the house, they have the run of the neighborhood, yet I have never seen a cat eat a green bean. They do tend to hold down the mouse and gopher population.
Coming back to the beans, my wife took them to work and found someone who wanted them. I have three rows of beans and only picked the one row. Guess the others can go for dry beans?
Interesting. We have three cats hanging out here. They are outside cats and do not come in the house, they have the run of the neighborhood, yet I have never seen a cat eat a green bean. They do tend to hold down the mouse and gopher population.
Coming back to the beans, my wife took them to work and found someone who wanted them. I have three rows of beans and only picked the one row. Guess the others can go for dry beans?
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HoneyBerry
- Greener Thumb
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- Location: Zone 8A Western Washington State
I have been going through some of my old cookbooks and saw this recipe.
(recipe is from "Pasta & Co. By Request" page 54)
Ever dressed wonderfully fresh green beans in a vinaigrette only to have the beans turn an unappetizing olive drab? Scratch the vinegar and ice the beans after blanching for a brilliantly green dish.
Recipe: Summer Green Beans and Tomatoes
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 pounds fresh string green beans, trimmed and cut diagonal into 2-inch pieces
4 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, saving all juices
4 rablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/4 cups onions, sliced into half moons
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Freshly cracked pepper
Boil water in large kettle. Add the 1 tablespoon salt and return to boil. Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Drop beans into boiling water and cook just until tender. Immediately drain and submerge in ice water. When well chilled, drain well and reserve. Toss tomatoes with the 1 teaspoon salt and reserve. In a medium-size saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook just until they begin to color. Add garlic and remove from heat. Immediately fold in remaining olive oil and tomatoes. Toss tomato mixture with beans. Season with freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 6 cups
Onion Half-Moons
Cutting onions in half from top to bottom, laying the cut side flat on a cutting board, and slicing into the onion along its grain lines. This produces little wedges which when cut apart look like crescent or half moons. If the taste of raw onion is too strong for you, place the half-moons in ice water for a few hours before using. Be sure to drain well.
(recipe is from "Pasta & Co. By Request" page 54)
Ever dressed wonderfully fresh green beans in a vinaigrette only to have the beans turn an unappetizing olive drab? Scratch the vinegar and ice the beans after blanching for a brilliantly green dish.
Recipe: Summer Green Beans and Tomatoes
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 pounds fresh string green beans, trimmed and cut diagonal into 2-inch pieces
4 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, saving all juices
4 rablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/4 cups onions, sliced into half moons
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Freshly cracked pepper
Boil water in large kettle. Add the 1 tablespoon salt and return to boil. Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Drop beans into boiling water and cook just until tender. Immediately drain and submerge in ice water. When well chilled, drain well and reserve. Toss tomatoes with the 1 teaspoon salt and reserve. In a medium-size saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook just until they begin to color. Add garlic and remove from heat. Immediately fold in remaining olive oil and tomatoes. Toss tomato mixture with beans. Season with freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 6 cups
Onion Half-Moons
Cutting onions in half from top to bottom, laying the cut side flat on a cutting board, and slicing into the onion along its grain lines. This produces little wedges which when cut apart look like crescent or half moons. If the taste of raw onion is too strong for you, place the half-moons in ice water for a few hours before using. Be sure to drain well.
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applestar
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In one of my recipe experiment moods, I made chili stew but used green beans and runner beans cut into 1 inch pieces instead of kidney beans. I made it with plenty of meat — I think I used chuck — so even my DH who regularly says “I eat green beans” liked it. Only problem was it didn’t make good leftover chili — the flavor got a lot more green beany and the texture got mushy — so I ended up having to eat most of what was leftover. I won’t make extra next time.
I'm in the same situation, James.
There was a frost on the 28th of August one year; we are almost a month after that anniversary and no killing frost ... yet. Howsomeever ... there have been a whole bunch of 30 degree overnight lows in the big veggie garden. Most plants have shut down.
The tractor guy was late in the spring. That made me a little late with the peas and getting them out of the way for a late planting of bush beans. I have come to assign July 15 as the last date for that and I was about 5 days late. The purple beans have been blooming it seems forever and there are even tiny pods. They just can't gather enough energy to grow the crop. The Jade beans don't look like they have a chance. All are -- beautiful plants!
Meanwhile, the earlier growth and current production of a late planting of zucchini is really something! Winter squash has mostly been brought in except for those hiding under Jack o'lantern pumpkin vines that have had almost a too good of a growing season.
Steve
There was a frost on the 28th of August one year; we are almost a month after that anniversary and no killing frost ... yet. Howsomeever ... there have been a whole bunch of 30 degree overnight lows in the big veggie garden. Most plants have shut down.
The tractor guy was late in the spring. That made me a little late with the peas and getting them out of the way for a late planting of bush beans. I have come to assign July 15 as the last date for that and I was about 5 days late. The purple beans have been blooming it seems forever and there are even tiny pods. They just can't gather enough energy to grow the crop. The Jade beans don't look like they have a chance. All are -- beautiful plants!
Meanwhile, the earlier growth and current production of a late planting of zucchini is really something! Winter squash has mostly been brought in except for those hiding under Jack o'lantern pumpkin vines that have had almost a too good of a growing season.
Steve
