Purple Bush Beans - Exceptional for Freezing

by B.D.'s world via Flickr

I typically grow purple, green and yellow bush beans in my garden every year. While the yellow wax bean has its own distinct flavor, I've never seen much difference in the flavor of purple and green beans. I grow the purple beans because they are pretty and I'm like a little kid who still gets a kick out of watching them change from purple to green when I cook them. 

Last summer, I planted two little rows of purple beans along the edge of my raised bed. Each row was approximately 3 feet long. I harvested these beans all summer and had plenty for my husband and I to eat fresh. I even had a few to freeze.


Before I go on, let me tell you that I have never been a fan of frozen green beans because freezing toughens them and I don't care for the texture. But that was before I tried frozen purple beans.

The other night when I cooked dinner I noticed the package of frozen beans and decided it was a good time to try them. I threw a handful of frozen purple beans in a stir fry and they were amazing. They were tender and flavorful  and if I hadn't known better, I might have been fooled into thinking they were fresh beans.

Unfortunately, I don't know what kind of purple beans I grew, as I bought them in the bulk seeds of a local store and I believe they were simply labeled as purple bush beans.  But, I can tell you that I intend to grow more purple beans this summer and freeze them for winter use.

If you are looking for an exceptional bean for freezing, I highly recommend trying purple beans.