Fresh green beans in summer are a treat, but keeping a stash of frozen green beans on hand is a great option for enjoying farm-fresh string beans on busy weeknights. Learn about the different cuts of green beans and how to use them in recipes.
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I love fresh produce. Salads. Steamed broccoli. Corn on the cob. Snap beans fresh from the vine. They are delicious, indeed.
But they come with a price. Two, in fact. Fresh vegetables can be expensive and they can have a short shelf life. Combined, this makes for a sometimes not-so-good cheap eat.
Frozen green beans, on the other hand are readily available, generally affordable, and last forever when stored under zero degrees. Lest you think they aren’t as nutritious as fresh beans, think again. Frozen beans are typically picked at their peak of freshness, flash frozen, and captured in their best form.
Why Buy Frozen Green Beans
They’re good for you. Green beans are a good source of fiber, folate, protein, and potassium. They can help regulate blood pressure, cholesterol, and gut health.
They’re cheap. Pound for pound, frozen green beans are a much better deal than fresh whole green beans. Since you can store them for quite some time in the freezer, you can load up on a sale and have access to an easy side dish any day of the week. Make them a freezer staple this year.
They’re versatile. Frozen green beans can stand alone as a veggie side dish, but they can also be incorporated into most weeknight dinners, including soups, stews, casseroles, and salads. You can serve cooked green beans simply with little effort or dress them up for special occasions like in Green Beans Almondine.
Green beans are delicious. Prepared al dente so as to avoid a mushy texture, green beans are so yummy. Season sauteed green beans with fresh garlic, and a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil for an easy vegetable stir fry or roast them on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a sprinkle of lemon zest, and a shower of parmesan cheese. There are so many different ways to serve frozen green beans, you’ll never get bored!
Types of Frozen Green Beans
There are many varieties of green beans that you can grow in the garden, but your choices in the average grocery store freezer section will be limited to the different cuts of beans. The cut of green bean you choose will effect the overall texture of the recipe you add them to.
You may find one or all of these at your local market:
whole green beans – As described, these are thin green beans left whole. Sometimes you may find the ends haven’t been perfectly trimmed, so you may want to trim off a stem or two.
You can use these to sauté or roast, but if you’re going to add them to a soup, stew, or casserole, you will want to cut them into bite-size chunks.
French style green beans – French-cut green beans are thinly sliced on the bias so that they resemble thick shreds of beans with the bean pod exposed.
French-cut green beans tend to cook up more softly and risk getting mushy or overcooked, depending on how you cook them.
There is a special tool you can buy to french cut your own green beans or you can use a food processor. Or cut out the middle man and buy them frozen and already to go.
cut green beans – Cut green beans are green beans already trimmed and cut into bite-sized chunks.
These are perfect for adding to recipes like soup, stew, or pot pie.
How to Cook Frozen Green Beans
My favorite way to cook green beans is to ignore the package directions. Most frozen green beans bags say to boil the beans. No thanks. Sautéed green beans have so much more texture and flavor.
Heat some oil or butter in a large skillet. Add the frozen green beans to the hot pan – no need to thaw! Season the beans with whatever you like: salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Everything Seasoning, whatever you like! Cook over medium heat until they are hot and have a tender-crisp texture. Voila perfect vegetable side dish in minutes!
You can also cook them quickly in the air fryer or roast them on a sheet pan in an even layer.
Recipes that Use Frozen Green Beans
Hungry for more? Check out these easy side dish recipes for using frozen green beans:
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