On 24/12/2014 17:02, Christina Websell wrote:
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
" wrote in message
...
We have tried different ways to freeze them and the results are always
the same, once
cooked and tasted they go in the bin.

I haven't even tried to freeze them for years, even those that the
seed merchants recommend for freezing are only worth putting
in the bin - as you say Bob.
The best way to keep runner beans is the old fashioned way of
salting them down. Slice them and layer them with salt in a large
stone jar. We always had them at Christmas and as far as I can
remember (it was quite a long time ago!) they were excellent.

If you are a salt addict :-( Yes, they are fine, but the salt level
is far too high for me.

My grandfather always used to salt his runners beans in jars (no freezers
then) and his only Christmas gift to us when I was a child was a jar of
salted runner beans. No matter how long my mother ran them through cold
water, they were always too salty to eat.
I wouldn't dream of trying to eat them preserved like that now, unless I
wanted to give myself high blood pressure :-)

Maybe there is something wrong with my taste buds. I find frozen runner
beans, chopped for the pot (diagonally in small slices of course) and frozen
immediately in portion bags (I don't bother with blanching), perhaps not
quite the same as fresh ones, but quite acceptable.




Nothing wrong with your taste buds, Tina. RG and I always grew Enorma
runner beans and found them to be very acceptable from frozen. My M-I-L
used to freeze her beans, too, but they were always tainted by something
else in the freezer (often gooseberries) which made them less pleasant.
She always used to overcook them as well, which didn't help; their
colour when served was dark olive green .. and occasionally olive brown
:~(. We ate them, but they weren't special.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

But I fully agree that they are a complete waste of time to freeze.


Disagree totally. Enorma freeze well (still eating them)
Still yummy.

Over blanched and over cooked seems to be a problem. This year I definitely over blanched, and even just bringing to the boil tends to over cook them. The texture is a lot softer than when fresh, so it would seem that minimal blanching (or even none), and a quick steaming rather than boiling might be best for cooking. Aging also changes the taste buds, and that could also be a problem affecting me. As for salting, new research is showing that it is sugar that causes more blood pressure problems than salt. (Just in case you haven't yet read that bit.)

We don't blanche at all. Just cut and freeze.

Mike

.................................................. ................
'Ask not what the Theatre can do for you,
but what you can do for the Theatre'
www.friendsofshanklintheatre.co.uk





"Bigal" wrote in message ...


Christina Websell;1010161 Wrote:
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
-
But I fully agree that they are a complete waste of time to freeze.

-
Disagree totally. Enorma freeze well (still eating them)
Still yummy.

Over blanched and over cooked seems to be a problem. This year I
definitely over blanched, and even just bringing to the boil tends to
over cook them. The texture is a lot softer than when fresh, so it
would seem that minimal blanching (or even none), and a quick steaming
rather than boiling might be best for cooking. Aging also changes the
taste buds, and that could also be a problem affecting me. As for
salting, new research is showing that it is sugar that causes more blood
pressure problems than salt. (Just in case you haven't yet read that
bit.)




--
Bigal