How To Preserve Green Beans 3 Different Ways

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Learn How To Preserve Green Beans with our simple step-by-step guide. Covering freezing, canning, and dehydrating — keep your harvest fresh for months with these 3 easy methods!

A wooden spoon holds cut frozen green beans above more frozen beans; below, fresh green beans fill a metal colander, illustrating how to preserve green beans. A website, blessthismessplease.com, is noted at the bottom.

Preserving Guide: How To Preserve Green Beans

Green beans are a staple in any kitchen, working as a perfect side dish, or the main course in a delicious casserole. So, being able to properly preserve it yourself, no matter if you’re buying it fresh, or harvesting it from your own garden, will make all those delicious dishes so much easier to make!

From simple freezing techniques to traditional canning methods, there are several effective ways to maintain the crisp texture and vibrant flavor of fresh green beans for months to come!

Preserving Guide: How To Preserve Green Beans
When To Harvest Green Beans
How To Store Green Beans
Dehydrating Green Beans
How To Can Green Beans
Freezing Green Beans
Expert Tips
More Tips For Preserving The Harvest

When To Harvest Green Beans

When pods are young and tender, about 3 inches long or just before seeds begin to bulge and grow plump.

How To Store Green Beans

Make sure to store your green beans in the refrigerator.

Dehydrating Green Beans

CUT: Wash. Cut into pieces or strips.
DIPPING: Water blanch for 4 minutes.
DEHYDRATOR: 8-14 hours
APPEARANCE WHEN DRY: very dry, brittle

How To Can Green Beans

QUANTITY: An average of 14 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 9 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints.

PREPARATION

Wash beans and trim ends.

Leave whole or cut or snap into 1-inch pieces.

HOT PACK

Cover with boiling water; boil 5 minutes.
Fill hot jars loosely, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Adjust lids and process.

PROCESSING TIME: 20 minutes for pints; 25 minutes for quarts

RAW PACK

Fill hot jars tightly with raw beans, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Add 1 teaspoon of canning salt per quart to the jar, if desired.
Add boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles.
Wipe rims of jars with a dampened paper towel.
Adjust lids and process.

PROCESSING TIME: 20 minutes for pints; 25 minutes for quarts

Chart with two tables showing canning times and pressures for dial-gauge and weighted-gauge pressure canners, listing jar sizes, process times, and pressure requirements at varying altitudes.

Freezing Green Beans

PREPARING GREEN BEANS

Select young tender pods when the seed is first formed.
Wash in cold water.
Snip and cut into 2 to 4-inch lengths.

FREEZING GREEN BEANS

Water blanch 3 minutes.
Cool promptly, drain and package, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Seal and freeze.

🍎🫙 Get a free Preserving Guide for all the details to dehydrate, can, and freeze 42 fruits and vegetables — get the FREE GUIDE here!

Expert Tips

Storage Time: Frozen green beans maintain best quality for 10-12 months, pressure-canned green beans last 2-3 years, and dehydrated green beans stay fresh for 8-12 months when stored properly in airtight containers.
Avoiding Mushy Beans: Mushy green beans usually result from overcooking during the preservation process or using beans that were past their prime. For freezing, don’t over-blanch. For canning, follow processing times exactly. For dehydrating, don’t over-dry.
Proper Blanching: When blanching for freezing, prepare your ice bath before you start cooking. Use a 1:1 ratio of ice to water, and make sure you have enough ice to keep the water cold throughout the process. The beans should cool as quickly as they heated – this stops the cooking process and preserves color, texture, and nutrients!