The Simple Restaurant Trick I Never Skip for Perfect Green Beans
Green beans are a true workhorse in the kitchen. They’re available year-round, easy to prepare, and on top of all that, super flexible. You can toss them into a quick stir-fry, roast them in the oven, or toss them with a flavorful dressing. They’re always there when you need to add something green to a meal.
However you’re planning on using your green beans, one simple technique that helps them remain crisp-tender, and not limp and sad, is to give them a quick blanch. Here’s everything you need to know to keep the snap in your next batch of green beans.
What Is Blanching?
Blanching is the process of submerging food in boiling water to cook it very briefly — no more than a few minutes — and then quickly transferring it to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Why You Should Blanch Green Beans
Blanching may seem like an unnecessary extra step in the cooking process, but its advantages are worth the extra effort. Blanching vegetables helps them retain their bright color and avoid becoming limp. It also tenderizes the beans and stops the stimulation of enzymes that lead to deterioration. If you’re planning on freezing your green beans, the blanching process goes a long way to helping them avoid some of the pitfalls of the freezing process — loss of color, soggy texture, and off flavors.
How to Blanch Green Beans
Prep the beans. Rinse the beans under cool water and trim the ends.
Boil. Add the beans to a large pot of boiling water and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Shock the beans. Drain the beans and transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Recipes to Try with Blanched Green Beans
How to Blanch Green Beans Recipe
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 2 minutes to 3 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound green beans
4 quarts water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Instructions
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Rinse 1 pound green beans in a colander under cool water.
Trim the stem ends off the beans. You can either break the ends off one at a time using your fingers or line up a handful of beans and cut the stems off at once with a knife.
Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Boil until bright green and just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl halfway with ice and water.
Drain the green beans and transfer immediately to the ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Once the beans are completely cool, drain and pat dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels, or spin dry in a salad spinner.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Blanched green beans can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
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