[maxibo]

Good afternoon!  I have been to the plot today and picked another two tonnes of green beans.  I intended to have a little potter in the kitchen and do some (more) blanching.  I have discovered I don't have any ice cubes to put in the water I usually dunk my veggies in when I take them out of the boiling water.  Do you think it will be ok to carry on or should I wait until I have ice tomorrow ? Cheers!x

[mumofstig]

I don't use ice - I just get them as cold as I can using several changes of cold water from the tap.

[maxibo]

Thanks yet again Mum!  What would I do without you?  I'd be up to my armpits in beans for a start....Now I have a dilemma. In my panic to get the beans out of sight before OH comes home from work (and gives me 'the look' of a man unable to face another bean, ever) I had a hunt round and I have the ingredients (vinegar, sugar etc) to do a half batch of the runner bean chutney, but using green beans instead.  What to do?  Have a cup of tea I think.  Thanks again 

[Annen]

I've just dried some in desperation, Heaven knows how I will use them, soups and stews I suppose



I blanched them for 2 mins by the way (to keep on topic!) and used cold running water from the tap to cool them.

[maxibo]

Argghh! No fair!! You've got one of those dehydrator thingummies haven't you? .  What will you do with them  now to use them? Throw them into soups as they are or do you need to do something else first?  How long will they keep?  What else can you dry?  I'm feeling an on line purchase coming on  :blink:  I mentioned the possibility of buying a chest or larder freezer to OH and he just stared at me and stalked off.  I'll take that as a 'no' then!  But I dehydrator - I could hide that away, he'd never find it

[Annen]

Maxibo, I put a pic up just to tease you  I saw your other post on snow white's thread. 
That's why I got one because I have no space for another freezer.  I haven't rehydrated much yet so don't know whether it will be worth it, but mushrooms rehydrated well, and dried apple is wonderful. If you do a search there has been a thread about it not long ago.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=107232.0 That was one but there were others, but may have been off-topic (a bit like this one!)

[maxibo]

Oooh you are awful!  Really, thank you!  I can see what model you have too I think 

[rowan57]

I don't blanch, I find things are so tender when they leave the allotment, blanching then recooking when defrosting turns things to mush. Unblanched beans etc. work fine and taste brilliant.

[mumofstig]

blanching then recooking when defrosting

That's the trouble - they don't need cooking as such, just heating through No mush here