Copy Cat Recipe - TGI Friday's Green Bean Fries (2024)

FAQs

What does blanching green beans mean? ›

Our go-to green bean recipe is hardly a recipe at all—just blanch them, i.e., flash them in boiling water until the beans are crisp-tender, then shock them, a.k.a. chill them in an ice bath.

They are sensitive to ethylene gas so keep them away from high producers like apples, avocados, or melons. I suggest lining open bags of green beans with a towel to prevent moisture build-up. Stored properly, they can stay fresh for 10 days or up to 2 weeks. If they brown or turn slimy, they've gone bad.

Nearly all of my fresh green bean recipes begin with blanching the beans. If you ask me, everyone should learn this method for how to cook green beans. It's quick and easy, and it yields beans that are vibrant, crisp-tender, and not at all mushy.

Tips for Freezing Green Beans:

Make sure to blanch the green beans before freezing to preserve their quality. Dry the green beans thoroughly before packaging and freezing. Label the package or container with the date and contents. Use the frozen green beans within 6 to 8 months for best quality.

The only part of the bean that always needs to be removed is the tip of the stem end (this is sometimes called "topping" the bean), where the pod was once attached to the rest of the plant. There is no practical need to remove the tail end of a green bean—the choice to do so is aesthetic.

In summary, the safest way to eat green beans is usually cooked, but green beans can be eaten raw as well. Just be sure to wash them under running water before using them, as you would with any other produce. And because green beans contain lectins, eating them raw may result in tummy troubles.

Cooked food can only stay in the temperature danger zone for so long before it becomes unsafe to eat. Havern explains: "The maximum amount of time perishable foods can [spend] in the danger zone is two hours. At two hours, the food must be consumed, stored correctly, or thrown away.

Blanching green beans before freezing helps them to retain that beautiful green color and crisp texture when you go to enjoy them. Skipping this step might result in your beans having a mushy texture once defrosted.

Yes, you can freeze cucumbers, but there's a catch. Frozen cucumbers will never have the same crisp snap as fresh cucumbers. Here's why. Cucumbers are about 95% water, so freezing and thawing will affect their cell structure, resulting in a mushy texture.

Do fresh green beans go bad in fridge? ›

It's best to store your fresh green beans in the fridge, otherwise store green beans in the freezer if you want them to last longer. You can also store unwashed and unblanched green beans in the refrigerator for up to about seven days before you need to store your green beans in the freezer.

Technically, you could freeze raw green beans but we don't recommend it. After freezing, the raw beans will be mushy in texture and flavorless. For the best results, don't skip the blanching process when freezing green beans. Dry the beans thoroughly before freezing.

“Store unwashed fresh bean pods in a plastic bag kept in the refrigerator crisper. Whole beans stored this way should keep for about seven days,” she says. If you plan to use them in an upcoming meal, wash them under running water. Remove both ends of the beans by either snapping them off or cutting them with a knife.

To blanch green beans, fill a large pot of water, set over high heat, and bring it to a boil. Salt the water (per quart of water, estimate a tablespoon of kosher salt), which will bring the green beans to life and enhance their flavor. Once the water is boiling, add the beans and cook for two to three minutes.

If you freeze green beans without blanching them first, the texture, color, and taste won't be quite as fresh when you defrost and eat them after long-term storage. They'll be good for a couple of months in the freezer, but quickly go downhill thereafter.

Once they are blanched the green beans can either be refrigerated and reheated later or served cold. I like to sauté them with garlic, olive oil and a little lemon juice. This is my absolute favorite way to cook green beans. It's easy to do and is a hit for date nights, dinner parties or Thanksgiving dinners.

Blanching green beans before freezing helps them to retain that beautiful green color and crisp texture when you go to enjoy them. Skipping this step might result in your beans having a mushy texture once defrosted.