Fresh beans don't last long in the fridge. But luckily there are other ways to store beans. Find out below how and where to store your beans and how long they can be kept.

Green beans freeze beautifully

Store beans in the refrigerator

Fresh beans should not be stored in the refrigerator for more than two days. To do this, clean the beans after harvesting or buying them (do not wash!) and place them loosely in a storage box or a fresh food bag in the vegetable drawer. You should only wash and cut the beans just before consumption.

Store beans in the freezer

There are beans in the freezer Can be stored for up to 9 months. However, you should prepare them well for freezing:

  • Clean and wash your fresh beans.
  • Cut off the tough stalks on both sides. You can halve particularly long beans or cut them into small pieces if you wish.
  • Blanch the beans in boiling water for three to five minutes.
  • Rinse them with cold water and let them drain well and cool.
  • Now place your beans in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container.
  • Write the freeze date on the package and place the beans in the freezer.

drying beans

Another method, widely used in southern countries, is to dry the beans. This is suitable for broad beans, runner beans and many other types of beans. To do this, let your beans ripen on the plant. They are not harvested until the pods have dried and the beans will rattle in the pod when you shake them. Then proceed as follows:

  • Harvest the beans and separate the seeds from the pods.
  • Let the beans lie loosely on a baking sheet in a dry place for a week so that residual moisture can escape. Alternatively, you can also dry them in the oven at the lowest temperature and with the door slightly open.
  • Then place the beans in a tightly closed jar.

Dried beans have a shelf life of several years. Some sources even report that they are still edible after 30 years.

Boil beans

If you have harvested too many fresh beans and are standing in front of a full freezer, there is one last method to choose from: preserving. Watch this video guide to learn how to can your beans step by step:

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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:

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Vegetable garden