The most important thing is to breathe deeply. Yes, that's a lot of green beans. Be sure to taste one straight off the vine.(Yum!) But don't panic because freezing is soooo much easier than canning.
First, clean the beans. I break of the stem end, but cutting is okay. I keep the beans whole, but they could be chopped into bite-sized chunks. (Take another taste? Why not!)
Next, boil a big pot of water. Gently lower the beans into the water to avoid splashing. Generally beans need three minutes for processing. The boiling process kills an enzyme that makes beans mushy when they're frozen. The beans may make a popping sound; that's normal. I like to use a strainer to get the beans out, but tongs or a slotted spoon works as well.
Plunge the beans into ice water immediately to stop the cooking process. Overcooked beans are mushy, too. I like to use a big chunk of ice because it melts more slowly than ice cubes. Note the bright green color compared to the olive color of the uncooked beans. (This is a good time to take a taste to make sure they're cool. Yum!)
Drain well. Ice crystals form with the leftover water. It's not such a big deal, really, just be prepared to drain off excess water when re-heating your beans.
Place the cooled beans in a baggie, keeping the bag flat for better storage in the freezer. They won't taste as good as they did today, but they'll be better than anything you'll find at the grocery store in the middle of a Minnesota winter.
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