Should you had been turned off by canned inexperienced beans as a child, let me guarantee you: Contemporary inexperienced beans are nothing like these greying soggy beans floating in murky water. When cooked correctly (aka not boiled to loss of life), inexperienced beans are a vibrant vegetable that may perk up pasta, get sprinkled right into a salad, or stand alone as a aspect dish. Right here’s one of the simplest ways to blanch inexperienced beans so that they’re really interesting.
To blanch inexperienced beans, fill a big pot of water, set over excessive warmth, and convey it to a boil. Salt the water (per quart of water, estimate a tablespoon of kosher salt), which can deliver the inexperienced beans to life and improve their taste. As soon as the water is boiling, add the beans and prepare dinner for 2 to 3 minutes. Whereas the beans are cooking, fill a big bowl with chilly water and ice. As quickly because the beans are performed cooking, switch them instantly to the ice bathtub to cease the cooking course of and protect their vivid inexperienced coloration. Go away the beans within the bowl of ice water for a couple of minutes earlier than eradicating them with tongs. From right here, toss them with butter and lemon zest, put them towards pasta, or use them as the bottom for everybody’s favourite (okay, perhaps not everybody’s) Thanksgiving aspect dish: inexperienced bean casserole.
It’s also possible to freeze blanched inexperienced beans for future use. As soon as they’re totally cool, switch them on high of some layers of paper towels or a clear dish towel and pat them dry to take away any extra moisture. As soon as dry, place them on a lined sheet tray or plate them and stick it within the freezer; lay them down in a single layer to keep away from the beans sticking collectively. As soon as frozen, switch the beans to a container or hermetic freezer bag for everlasting storage Frozen greens like inexperienced beans are finest eaten inside three to 6 months. Whereas they’re not unsafe to eat after that interval, their high quality will begin to deteriorate.
What’s your favourite strategy to prepare dinner inexperienced beans? Tell us within the feedback beneath!
