Frozen green beans

[lottie lou]

Has anyone any ideas on how to improve the flavour of my frozen green beans?  Oh refused to eat them as he said "they didn't taste the same"

[lottie lou]

[daveyboi]

Did you just freeze them or blanch them first?

[Toshofthe Wuffingas]

Stir fries: they take on the flavour of the other ingredients and sauces. I like French beans tossed with butter and toasted flaked almonds. Perhaps a light tomato sauce and sprinkled with parmesan or even grated cheddar. Minestrone type broth soups with assorted vegetables......

[lottie lou]

Did you just freeze them or blanch them first?

[quote author=lottie lou link=topic=74225.msg757686#msg757686 date=135084700

Think I just froze them as he complained about the blanched ones as "not tasting right".  Some people are impossible to cook for.

Thanks for your suggestions Tosh of the W.  Will give it a bash for the little so and so.

[kt.]

Tell him to grow them himself or buy & cook his own next time around.  I have not blanched anything I have frozen this year and it has all been fine so far.  No complaints anyway. 

I remember reading a thread a couple of years ago on here regarding wether to blanch or not.  Results were half and half so personal preference, but with technology being more advanced, many freezers having fast freeze to lower temperatures than years gone by, many are no longer blanching.

[Toshofthe Wuffingas]

Oh yes, another standby, a chunky home grown tomato salad, black olives, garlic, torn basil and French beans, maybe some chopped spring onion too, a splash of your favourite vinegar and a glug of olive oil and eaten with crusty bread. A twist of crunchy sea salt and a secret ingredient, a pinch (no more) of sugar helps.

[qahtan]

 Yuck,, I wouldn't bother to freeze them, have them every day until you are fed up with them, by then they have finished until next season.
..myself and my family think they are the most miserable items to even try to eat... my advise, don't waste freezer space......    qahtan.. 

[Morris]

I've tried blanched, not blanched, cooking by boiling, steaming, in the microwave, in stews, curries etc, and all the varieties claimed as good for freezing. Both runner and french beans. I, and family, can always tell, and we always think frozen are vastly inferior to fresh.

I agree with Qahtan, sadly, as they would be so useful frozen and produce so well. I grow less, just what we can eat fresh, and pickle.

It is a matter of personal taste, some people don't mind, others have more sensitive palates aka more picky!!

[Borlotti]

My frozen green runner beans were horrible, tasted soapy, but I ate them cause I grew them. Luckily not too many left in the freezer.  Next year if I get plenty will eat and give away, although last year they seemed to have frozen OK, but this year rubbish.

[caroline7758]

I'm pleased to read this as I've always found frozen homegrown beans very disappointing. How does Captain Birdseye do it, I wonder?

[Jayb]

I'm pleased to read this as I've always found frozen homegrown beans very disappointing. How does Captain Birdseye do it, I wonder?

I'd love to know how too! I'm another who doesn't bother with freezing green beans, I adore fresh but once home frozen- not nice. Perhaps it's a taste gene thing some people notice others don't?

[goodlife]

I'm pleased to read this as I've always found frozen homegrown beans very disappointing. How does Captain Birdseye do it, I wonder?

They freeze them so rapidly that it is almost instant..home freezers are not capable for that sort of processing...unless you get hold of some liquid nitrogen.... ..that should sort out some disappointing beans