Preparing for the winter requires special attention from vegetable lovers. In particular, lovers of asparagus beans need to familiarize themselves with the correct selection of this product and the preparatory steps for freezing it so that it can be used without problems in the cold season. This is described further in the article.

Useful properties of asparagus beans

Since asparagus beans contain folic acid, as well as magnesium and potassium, eating it prevents the development of a heart attack. Doctors also recommend adding this product to people with anemia. The main benefit of this vegetable is the nervous system, since it contains trace elements that create a calming effect. It has been established that people who often add asparagus beans to food become happier, healthier and have a good sleep.Vegetables should be consumed by people who suffer from diabetes because it contains arginine. This element has the same properties as insulin: it lowers blood sugar. Another useful property of asparagus beans is its effect on the urinary system: it helps to remove salts and stones from the body.

Important! You should not eat this product for people who have an ulcer, gastritis, cholecystitis or pancreatitis, since fiber pods can adversely affect the digestive system.

How to choose and prepare beans for freezing

To delight yourself with delicious dishes from this vegetable in the winter, you need to choose it correctly and prepare it for freezing. If you grow it in your garden, then the vegetable for freezing should be young, green. If you buy beans in a store, then you need to spend on the peel with the tip of the nail - the peel should be slightly damaged. This means that the skin is quite thin and young.The preparatory stage for freezing is as follows:

• sort out the pods (with defects thrown away);
• trim the ends of the pod from two sides;
• wash the product thoroughly;
• if desired, the vegetable can be cut into small pieces;
• then dry on a towel or in a colander;
• if the beans are raw, they can be immediately placed in bags or trays after drying and frozen;
• if you are going to freeze them, after boiling them, after washing you need to boil this product for 3 minutes. and put in the same period of time in cold water or ice to preserve color and taste.

Did you know? Green beans and asparagus are different types of plants, the name "asparagus" is conditional and is given because of the appearance of the pods. The difference between asparagus and ordinary beans is that the shell of the pods in the first is devoid of a hard "parchment" layer and is suitable for food.

Recipes and step-by-step instructions for freezing

There are many recipes for freezing beans, it can be:

• boiled;
• raw
• blanched;
• whole.

Raw

Raw freezing is the easiest and fastest way to prepare a vegetable for storage. To do this, wash the pods and trim the ends of the stem, as they are not edible and can ruin the taste of future dishes. Then you need to rinse them several times in running water.If the amount of product is small, it can be dried using a colander. If the volume is large, you need to dry it on a paper or cloth towel. After drying, the pods are proportionally laid out in bags or containers.

Important! It is necessary to dry the asparagus beans well so that the ice crust does not form on the surface and in winter it is easy to take the necessary portion for the preparation of a dish.

Boiled

To preserve the taste and color when boiling, you need to properly prepare the pods.

To do this, you must:

1. Wash selected vegetables.
2. Trim the ends of the stem.
3. Pour water into the stewpan and bring it to a boil.
4. Throw the pods into a saucepan and boil them for 3 minutes.
5. Carefully remove the pods with a slotted spoon and dip them into cold water to cool and preserve the color of the product.
6. Hold for at least 3 minutes. in cold water.
7. Remove from water and dry on a towel.
8. After drying, place in portions in bags.
9. Put in the freezer to freeze.

Video: freezing boiled asparagus beans

How to store frozen beans and how much

Frozen green beans must be stored at -18 ° C. The content of products at this temperature will allow you to store the vegetable for a year. If the temperature of the freezer is lower, the indicated shelf life of the products is significantly reduced.

Did you know? When in the XVII century, beans appeared in Russia, it was called "French beans" and began to be used for decorative purposes, to decorate gardens and flower beds. They began to eat it only a hundred years later.

It is also necessary to take into account the rules for defrosting. The vegetable defrosts simply at room temperature, but it is worth using the entire thawed portion immediately, since this product is not subject to secondary freezing.

Cooking Asparagus Beans

For cooking, young green beans, whole or sliced, are used. You can boil it not only in boiling water, but also for a couple. Keep steaming the same time as when boiling (7-8 minutes, until soft). You can also blanch this product. In order to reduce the amount of moisture during cooking, the vegetable can be fried, while properly fried pods must be hard, but in no case crispy.Use all defrosted portion at once, as it is not subject to additional storage. To do this, freeze small portions separately. Also, for convenience, you can sign the month and year in which you froze the vegetable.

Knowing the rules of choice, as well as the conditions for freezing raw and boiled beans, you can please yourself and your guests with delicious salads and soups throughout the year. And proper storage and defrosting will allow you to keep this dietary and healthy product longer.