Bean sprouts are packed with healthy ingredients. They are not only valued in vegan cuisine for this reason. But what to do if the freshly germinated soybean sprouts cannot be processed promptly? Can the frost in the freezer keep its value?

Bean sprouts lose their crispness in the freezer

Freeze excess bean sprouts

Bean sprouts are typical of Asian cuisine and are therefore a staple in Far Eastern grocery stores in this country. They are usually packaged in large quantities, but the seedlings do not stay fresh for a particularly long time. So if you don't want to eat Asian every day, you have to freeze the healthy sprouts.

Even sprouts that you have grown on the windowsill should be used up quickly or frozen.

Notice:
Did you know that the so-called commercially available soybean sprouts do not sprout from soybeans? In fact, these are mostly seedlings from mung beans.

Two ways to freeze bean sprouts

Fresh bean sprouts can be frozen in two ways.

  • raw, without further processing
  • briefly blanched

The following applies to both types: Always use fresh and flawless sprouts.

Freeze raw sprouts

The easiest way to freeze sprouts is to simply portion them into small freezer bags and pop them in the freezer. Before doing so, they should be briefly rinsed under running water in a sieve and then drained well.

Blanch the sprouts briefly

Bean sprouts contain a lot of water, which causes the cells to burst due to the sub-zero temperatures and the sprouts therefore become softer. In order for bean sprouts to retain some of their bite, it is recommended to briefly blanch them before freezing.

  1. Blanch the sprouts in boiling hot water for three minutes.
  2. Then quench the sprouts in ice water for another three minutes.
  3. Drain the bean sprouts well.
  4. Portion the sprouts into small freezer bags, only as much as you will need later.

durability and reuse

Frozen bean sprouts have a shelf life of one year. Once thawed, they should not be refrozen.

For hot soups and wok dishes, the deep-frozen sprouts can be taken directly from the freezer.

For dishes such as salads, where they are processed raw, they should be thawed beforehand. However, it is sufficient if you put the freezer bag with the sprouts in the fridge for about two hours. Drain thawed sprouts well before using them again.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden