Copy Cat Recipe - TGI Friday's Green Bean Fries (2024)

FAQs

How do you freeze green beans so they stay crisp? ›

Make sure to blanch the green beans before freezing to preserve their quality. Dry the green beans thoroughly before packaging and freezing. Label the package or container with the date and contents. Use the frozen green beans within 6 to 8 months for best quality.

There are two parts to blanching: a quick boil in salted water, then a quick plunge in a bowl of ice water. The boiling does the cooking and the ice water stops the cooking so the beans don't become overcooked and mushy.

Storage. Store unwashed fresh beans in a reusable container or plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper. Whole beans stored this way should keep for about seven days.

It's best to store your fresh green beans in the fridge, otherwise store green beans in the freezer if you want them to last longer. You can also store unwashed and unblanched green beans in the refrigerator for up to about seven days before you need to store your green beans in the freezer.

Tips for Freezing Green Beans

After freezing, the raw beans will be mushy in texture and flavorless. For the best results, don't skip the blanching process when freezing green beans. Dry the beans thoroughly before freezing. This will help avoid clumps and excess moisture.

Unfortunately, if vegetables are not blanched correctly, the vegetables can become too soft and essential nutrients, like vitamin C, can be lost. The high temperature of boiling water or steam weakens the cell walls and the vegetables lose their crunchy texture.

If you freeze green beans without blanching them first, the texture, color, and taste won't be quite as fresh when you defrost and eat them after long-term storage. They'll be good for a couple of months in the freezer, but quickly go downhill thereafter.

You may be surprised to learn that frozen green beans have just as many nutrients as, if not more than, fresh green beans. That's because frozen produce is harvested at peak ripeness, blanched, and flash frozen to preserve most of the nutrients and prevent spoiling.

How to Store Green Beans. Green beans should be stored unwashed in the crisper drawer of your fridge. If they came in a bag, keep them in the bag when storing. If they came in a small berry box from the market, transfer them to a reusable storage or plastic bag before storing them in the fridge.

Green beans can be frozen in their raw state, but consider blanching and shocking them for the best results. Not only does cooking them this way lock in their vibrant green color, but Registered Dietitian and Chef Abbie Gellman says it also eliminates surface microorganisms and dirt, preventing deterioration.

How to tell if green beans have gone bad? ›

Fresh green beans in good condition will feel firm and should snap apart when bent. Older green beans that feel limp and have started to develop a slimy texture are no longer safe to eat. If you see any fuzzy mold on them, they are definitely too bad to eat.

To blanch green beans, fill a large pot of water, set over high heat, and bring it to a boil. Salt the water (per quart of water, estimate a tablespoon of kosher salt), which will bring the green beans to life and enhance their flavor.

“Brown spots and bean seed shapes that are coming out of the shell means that they are starting to get old,” says Amidor. That means use them ASAP or be prepared to toss them in a day or so. And if the beans are already slimy and wet, they're no longer safe to eat.

In summary, the safest way to eat green beans is usually cooked, but green beans can be eaten raw as well. Just be sure to wash them under running water before using them, as you would with any other produce. And because green beans contain lectins, eating them raw may result in tummy troubles.

Your cooked beans last about 3 to 5 days in the fridge. To store them, let the beans cool down after cooking, then pop them in the refrigerator within an hour. Getting them stored quickly and chilled in the fridge will help prevent the growth of bacteria.

While it's tempting to toss frozen green beans directly into the pan, taking the time to thaw them first can yield superior results. Thawing allows the beans to cook more evenly and prevents them from becoming excessively tender or mushy.

Most of the time when frozen green beans are soggy, it's because the melted ice from the packaging is adding into the skillet and is too much liquid, or the beans are placed into oil in the skillet that isn't hot.