[cudders]

Hi all,

Just harvested and huge pile of Broad beans and half my peas.

Going to have a podding fest and get ready for Freezing. Now I know many think they should be blanched but not sure I can bo bothered!.

So if I dont, is there really any issues? I assume they will keep just as well and still taste good?

Cudders.

[Yorkie]

'Fraid they won't keep as well - blanching destroys things which will make the food store less well.

Have a look here http://www.allotment-garden.org/allotment_foods/Storing_the_Surplus_Freezing.php

P.S. Congrats on your harvest and get those items frozen asap!

[wighty]

I sat and did our broad beans last night.  Now have eighteen bags of 4 oz beans in the freezer.  Should be enough for the two of us for the winter. I de-pod, blanch for two minutes, plunge into cold water and then leave to drain for 'bagging up' for about two hours. Same procedure for the runners and French beans.

[cudders]

Groan..............

Guess I'll have to then!

thx chaps..

cudders

[DD.]

You didn't really think we went through all the process of blanching with the sole purpose being to have our OH's shout at us for messing the kitchen up, did you?

[cudders]

 

[farmersue]

I hate all that blanching palaver so last year i conducted a little experiment and didn't blanch one bag of runner beans. The bag i didn't blanch tasted most odd after a cpouple of months - not nice at all.  So this year i'll be blanching away - with gritted teeth. Not sure why i dislike it so much ...

[Spana]

I've tried not blanching and its not worth the freezer space.
I  have 2 cheap chip baskets for blanching.  If you get all your stuff ready before you start blanching it makes it much easier. 
Have 1 chip basket in the boiling water while the other basket is being filled ready and the previous lot is in the cold water, have a second bowl with ice in if you can, but if you only do smallish amounts at a time you might not need it, and the lot before that out draining.  Have 2 pans for the boiling water and start heating the second pan before the first pan needs changing so that its a constant blanch, cold, drain, pack process. 
Sorry if I'm telling you all how to suck eggs

[titch]

i podded a bucket of broad beans tonight too - the third one - a few more left on the plant, but reckon i will have around 20 2 person bags frozen tomorrow - yummy plus i have a bowl of small ones for eating tomorrow night and a few to freeze - will be french beans in a bit if they carry on this way