Green beans, also known as young pods or snaps, are edible flattened pods used in various recipes. I’m pretty sure you may know some of those recipes, but what you do not (and you will learn today) is how to store green beans.
You can store the green beans in the fridge for 5 or 10 days, depending on how fresh they are. Also, you can freeze them for eight months or keep them in vinegar for a year at room temperature.
To know how to preserve green beans properly, you have to continue reading.
How to keep green beans in the fridge
When storing green beans in the refrigerator, the first thing you should keep in mind is that you have to protect them from moisture. For this reason, when you get home with them, please do not wash them until you use them.
Better dry them with absorbent paper or a clean towel, then wrap them with more paper towels before putting them in an airtight bag. Put the bag inside the vegetable compartment or drawer.
In this way, you can refrigerate green beans for up to 10 days, but if they are not very fresh, only hold for five days in the fridge. [1]
If you have leftover green beans that you have cooked, wait for them to cool before putting them in an airtight bag or container. This way, cooked green beans can last between 3 and 5 days in the coldest part of the fridge.
How to freeze green beans
Can green beans be frozen? Sure you can, but you’ll need to blanch them first.
- Step 1: Wash the green beans.
Dip the green beans in water and rub them well or place them under a tap jet. Afterward, you will have to get rid of the stem.
- Step 2: Blanch the green beans.
Put the green beans in a pot with boiling water, and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on how big they are (the bigger the green beans, the more cooking time they will require).
After the indicated time, take out the green beans and put them inside a container with cold water and ice cubes, and leave them there for 4 minutes to stop the cooking.
Finally, strain them and put the beans on a clean kitchen cloth or absorbent paper to dry. Optionally, you can chop them into pieces of the size you prefer.
- Step 3: Bag the green beans.
Place the green beans in one or more airtight bags. Just be sure to get all the air out before closing it.
- Step 4: Write down the freezing date of green beans.
Write on the bag or container the date of storage of the green beans or write it down on a label that you will then stick to one of those containers.
- Step 5: Store the green beans in a freezer.
You can freeze green beans for eight months. [2]
But the cooked green beans will only last about 3 or 4 months because they become softer when you cook them.
You do not need to thaw green beans, as you can cook them while being frozen without any problem.
How to pickle green beans
Another way to keep beans green for a long time, especially if you have many, is to pickle them.
For a kilo of green beans, you will require half a liter of white vinegar, 80 grams of sugar, one tablespoon of black peppercorns, one bay leaf, one clove of garlic, and one chopped onion.
- Step 1: Wash the green beans.
Wash the green beans in water and rub them well.
- Step 2: Blanch the green beans.
Put the green beans in a pot with boiling water for a minute, then take them out and put them inside a container with cold water for another minute to cut the cooking.
- Step 3: Make the brine.
In a pot, pour all the ingredients mentioned before, and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Step 4: Fill the jars with green beans.
You must use glass jars with screws or airtight lids previously sterilized (boil the jars and their lids in water for ten minutes) and fill them with green beans.
Pour the hot brine into the jars, and let the beans submerge entirely. You should leave at least one finger free of the jar. Clean the lid area thoroughly before closing.
- Step 5: Vacuum seal the jars.
In a thick bottom pot, place a rack or kitchen cloth at the bottom to prevent the jars from constantly colliding with the pot or each other.
Fill the pot with water until you cover the jars, turn on the kitchen over high heat, and cover the pot. When boiling, lower the heat to medium, and let it cook for 20 or 30 minutes.
After that, the air will have already left the jar by the pressure, so turn off the stove and wait until the water cools before taking them out.
- Step 6: Take the jars and let them sit in the shade.
Please leave the jars on a table or countertop, away from the sun, for 12 hours.
- Step 7: Write the storage date of the pickled green beans.
On a label, place the storage date of the pickled green beans and then stick it to the jar.
- Step 8: Store the green beans pickled.
You can leave the jar of pickled green beans in a cool, dry, dark place, but only if it remains sealed. In this way, pickled green beans will be able to withstand a whole year at room temperature.
You can also store the sealed jar of pickled green beans inside the fridge for 12 to 18 months. Once opened, it can remain refrigerated for 3 or 4 weeks.
How to dehydrate green beans
Dehydrating green beans is another good alternative for long-term storage, which does not require a fridge. Still, suppose you want to maintain all the benefits this vegetal offers. In that case, I recommend using a food dehydrator since only dehydrating at a low temperature will keep most of its nutrients.
Although, if you don’t mind losing some nutrients, you could also dehydrate the green beans in the oven.
- Step 1: Wash the green beans.
Wash the green beans in water and rub them well to remove all the dirt. Put them under tap water or in a bowl with water. Then, cut them on the stem.
- Step 2: Blanch the green beans.
Put the green beans in a pot with boiling water for 3 minutes, then take them out and put them in a bowl of cold water for a minute, so stop cooking.
- Step 3: Dry and cut the green beans.
Drain and dry the beans with a clean kitchen cloth or absorbent paper, then cut them into between 3 and 4 centimeters.
- Step 4: Dehydrate green beans.
If you use your oven, preheat it to the lowest temperature, usually around 190°F (90°C). Then on a tray with parchment paper, spread the pieces of the green beans so that a single thin layer remains unspoiled, and bake for 6 or 8 hours.
But if you have a food dehydrator, adjust the temperature to about 110°F (45°C), spread the pieces of green beans in the internal trays of this equipment without piling them up, and dehydrate for about 8 or 12 hours,
You’ll know they’re ready when the green beans get crispy and brittle. And wait until they cool before storing them.
- Step 5: Transfer the dehydrated green beans into an airtight container.
This container can be a plastic bag or container. But to store this dehydrated vegetable at room temperature, I recommend using glass jars with an airtight lid.
- Step 6: Place the storage date.
Write the storage date of the dehydrated green beans on the container or put it on a label that you will stick to the container.
- Step 7: Store dehydrated green beans.
Store the jar of green beans in a dark, dry place away from heat sources. You will keep dehydrated green beans for a whole year at room temperature.
But if you want it to last much longer than that, place the dehydrated green beans in the freezer (in a bag or suitable container) for 2 or 5 years.
How to preserve commercial green beans?
In food stores or supermarkets, you can find the packaging of frozen green beans, glass cans, or jars with green beans.
Concerning the packaging of frozen green beans, it is crucial not to break your cold chain, so go for them at the end of your purchase (if you have a better thermal bag), and when you get home, you immediately put them in the freezer.
The packaging of sealed frozen green beans will keep well until its expiration date. Once opened, put the bag inside another airtight, suitable for freezing, for 18 months.
The green beans that come canned are meant to be consumed immediately since their packaging is not designed to keep them after you uncover them, unlike the ones that come in glass jars, so select the right amount you need.
You can put the can or jar of unopened green beans in a cool, moisture-free, and dark place until the expiration date. Once opened, pass the glass jar to the fridge, and you will keep it there for 3 to 4 months.
In the case of canned green beans, you can pass the leftover to an airtight container and place it in the coldest part of your fridge, where it can last a week.
How do you know if green beans got bad?
Your green beans will have spoiled if they have any of these characteristics:
- Mold: lint or black spots.
- Unpleasant smell.
- Bad taste.
- They are vicious and very soft.
In any of these cases, the best thing you can do is get rid of it to avoid discomfort.
Why are green beans spoiled?
Heat is the main enemy of green beans. As they are harvested at such an early stage, they do not usually withstand a long time at room temperature.
Humidity is another external agent to consider since it promotes the appearance of harmful microorganisms for human consumption.
If you store green beans correctly, you will prevent them from being exposed to those harmful agents. In addition, you slow down their natural process of decomposition.
How long do green beans last?
How long do green beans last?
This depends on the way you store the green beans, then I leave you a summary of their shelf life.
| Product | Duration |
| Refrigerated green beans | 5 – 10 days |
| Refrigerated cooked green beans | 3 – 5 days |
| Frozen green beans | 8 months |
| Frozen and cooked green beans | 3 – 4 months |
| Pickled green beans at room temperature (sealed) | 1 year |
| Pickled green beans in the fridge (sealed) | 12 – 18 months |
| Pickled green beans in the fridge (opened) | 3 – 4 weeks |
| Dehydrated green beans at room temperature | 1 year |
| Dehydrated green beans in the freezer | 2 – 5 years |
| Packaging of frozen green beans (unopened) | Until the expiration date |
| Packaging of frozen green beans (opened) | 18 months |
| Canned commercial green beans (sealed) | Until the expiration date |
| Canned commercial green beans (opened) | 1 week |
| Unopened commercially available green bean bottle | Until the expiration date |
| Open and refrigerated commercial green bean bottle | 3 – 4 months |
What is the best way to preserve green beans?
Fresh beans can only be stored inside the fridge for a few days in their natural state since if you want to freeze them, you must blanch them first. However, freezing could be considered the best way to preserve them long-term since it is a simple and effective method.
But you can also dehydrate the green beans or make a pickle with them. The latter option will add flavor. To learn how to preserve some other vegetable or legume, check the following post or use the search bar if you want something specific.
[1] https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/research/pole-bush-beans