Because green beans are only in season for a few months throughout the whole year, people tend to buy too many when they are in season and available.
Because of this, many people want information about how to tell if your green beans are bad and what the warning signs are to look out for.
It is important to be able to tell when your food has gone bad because if you avoid doing this, you can end up eating food you should not, and this can lead to harmful consequences.
Similar to quite a lot of vegetables, your green beans, unfortunately, will not last that long when they are fresh, however, if you have bought too many, you will be happy to hear that you can freeze them if you are looking to make them last longer.
So, if you have plenty because of a sale, or because you were growing them yourself, this is a great way to keep them around.
However, what if it is too late and you think that your green beans might be bad already, if this is the case you need to know what signs to look out for!
Before you consider eating or cooking with your green beans you will want to make sure that you have properly checked that they are still fine to eat.
Similar to a lot of vegetables, the best signs to go off of are the color and the texture.
You will of course want your green beans to be an appealing shade of green, and you want them to have a snap when they are broken.
This is because as green beans start to spoil, their green color turns brown, and they will not be as crispy and more soft.
This does not immediately mean they can not be eaten, but they will not taste nearly as good.
The key signs to look out for when checking if green beans are off are visible black spots or mold, a softer texture, and smelling off.
However, there is more information to keep in mind to ensure that your green beans last as long as possible. So, if you love green beans, keep reading to get all the necessary information!
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More On Green Beans
The rest of this article will go into detail on the optimal way to store your green beans to ensure that they last as long as possible.
It will also answer questions about how long green beans will last, as well as information on how to best freeze them as well, so if this is information you need, keep reading!
How To Store Your Green Beans
The best place to store your green beans if you want them to last as long as possible is to keep them in the fridge, and if you have one, the vegetable drawer of your fridge.
However, if you are using them the same day you buy them, then do not worry about space as you can just leave them on your counter until you are ready to use them.
But if you need them for anytime longer than that, you need to make room for them in your fridge.
If you are keeping them out for a short while, try to keep them away from direct sunlight, or near a source of heat like a stove top.
Also, when it comes to storing your green beans in the fridge, you want to make sure that you do not wash them before you put them in the fridge.
The reason for this is that the leftover drops of water will actually speed up the degradation of the beans, and this will give them a shorter shelf life overall.
Instead, save washing them for when you are preparing to eat or cook with them. For direct instructions on how to store them, the best bet is to put them in a container or a plastic bag.
If you are storing green beans after they have been cooked, then an airtight container like the Rubbermaid Brilliance BPA Free Food Storage Containers is the best choice.
How Long Do Green Beans Last
As you will know if you have cooked with green beans before, they unfortunately do not last that long.
They will usually only stay good in the fridge for anywhere between 3 and 5 days, however, they can stay good for about a week.
However, if you do not have time to use all of them, then you can instead freeze them.
The amount of time needed to store green beans after they have been cooked is going to be about the same time as if they were fresh, however, spotting the signs of them going off is a lot harder.
How To Freeze Green Beans
The process of freezing your green beans is actually quite similar to when you are freezing other vegetables, so if you have frozen vegetables before, do not worry too much about the process.
However, it can take some time to do if you want to blanch them first, so make sure you are following the correct steps.
First you want to wash the green beans and then remove their stems and then cut them. You want them to be the best size for storing them as possible.
You have the option to blanch your green beans in boiling water for about 3 minutes, and then put them in ice water after.
However, some people say that you get better results freezing green beans that have not been blanched. After this dry your green beans properly.
Then portion them into freezer safe bags and find a good spot for them!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this guide has given you all the information you need about how long green beans last and how to make them last as long as possible.
Making your green beans last as long as possible will ensure you always get great results when cooking them and is well worth the effort of storing and looking after them properly.
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