How to freeze runner beans

If you want to get the most out of runner beans this autumn, one great method is to freeze them. If you’re surprised that you can freeze this vegetable, then maybe our useful guide explaining what foods can be frozen will be helpful for you. We also have separate guides on specific ways to freeze many fruits, such as strawberries, bananas, and rhubarb, and vegetables, such as asparagus, cauliflower, carrots, and potatoes.

As with most vegetables, runner beans need to be blanched before freezing to help retain their fresh flavour and colour. To do this, you’ll need to chop or slice the runner beans into ribbons or chunks, remove and discard any tough ends or stringy edges, blanch in boiling water, cool and then freeze. To make cutting your beans into lengths easier, try using a bean slicer.

Basic method for freezing runner beans

Top and tail the beans then peel away any stringy edges. Chop the beans into 2-3cm chunks or slice lengthways.
Heat a pan of water until it comes to a rolling boil, then add the prepared runner beans. Boil for 3 mins then drain and transfer the beans to a bowl of ice-cold water.
Leave them in the cold water until cooled completely. Then you need to open freeze them, which is a method of freezing the beans out of a bag or container – this stops them from sticking together later. The way to do this is to line a baking sheet with baking parchment then lay all the blanched runner beans out, making sure the pieces or slices aren’t touching. Put the freezer on its coldest setting and freeze until solid.
Once the beans are frozen, put them in a bag or freezer box and return to the freezer. Will keep frozen for 3-6 months.