Blanched Frozen Green Beans

From the garden

• 3 lb green or snap beans, washed, stem ends trimmed · pick young, tender pods; cut into 2-inch lengths or leave whole

1. Bring your largest pot of water to a rolling boil (at least a gallon per pound of beans you'll blanch at a time) and set a big bowl of ice water beside the sink. Line a sheet pan with a clean towel.
2. Blanch the beans in batches of about a pound: drop them in, cover until the water returns to a boil, and time exactly 3 minutes. Blanching stops the enzymes that would turn frozen beans tough and off-flavored. Skipping it is the classic freezer mistake.
3. Lift the beans straight into the ice water and chill for 3 minutes, the same time they boiled, then drain and pat thoroughly dry on the towel-lined pan. Let the pot return to a full boil before the next batch.
4. Spread the dried beans in a single layer on sheet pans and freeze 1–2 hours until hard. This tray-freeze keeps them loose in the bag so you can pour out a handful at a time.
5. Pack into freezer bags or containers, press out as much air as possible, seal, and label with the date.