When we first created the recipe for Blackberry Green Beans it was 2010, and freeze-dried food has come considerably far in these past 12 years. In 2010 though…just finding freeze-dried green beans was hard enough, to be able to find freeze-dried blackberries? That was not going to happen. So we developed this recipe for late summer, when foraging wild blackberries is in season. Going through the recipe I realized that adding in a bit of olive oil would take the flavor up, and as well up the calorie/fat counts.
We used our home freeze-dried green beans in this recipe. If you have seen our freeze-drying posts of late, we use frozen vegetables, that are pre-blanched (cooked) so when rehydrated are ready to eat. No different than any of the commercial brands of freeze-dried ingredients. Back in 2010 if you could find freeze-dried green beans, it was often a tiny ½ ounce package from Mountain House, and you paid a lot for it. As if they were doing you some crazy favor, eh? They were not. They were in the mindset that most outdoorsy people wanted their sodium fests that were mostly beige in color. The thought of making a meal full of vegetables, vibrant and colored, that was not even a concept yet.
A quart of them, tucked away. I used about half of the jar. Since my beans were full size, I did break them up into smaller size. Easy to do as they snap easily.
Packaged side by side. For berries, if I am buying them commercially prepared, I prefer the Thrive Life ones as they are in a thick metal can to protect them. Bags can be convenient to buy freeze-dried food in, but for long-term storage or keeping it uncrushed, cans are worth it.
Green beans and blackberries.
Blackberry Green Beans
- 1⁄2 ounce (16 grams) (about 1 dry cup) freeze-dried green beans
- 1⁄2 tsp dried oregano
- 1⁄4 tsp minced dried onion
- 1⁄4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1⁄4 tsp ground black pepper
In a sandwich zip-top bag:
- 1 cup (34 grams) (1.2 ounces) freeze-dried blackberries
Also Take:
- 1 packet or 1 Tablespoon olive oil
FBC Method:
Add 1 cup cool water to the blackberry bag. Let rehydrate while the beans rehydrate.
Place the green bean bag in an FBC Cozy. Add 1 cup just boiled water and seal tightly. Let sit for 15 minutes.
Drain off any remaining water carefully. Stir in the oil.
Drain off any water from the blackberries, very gently fold in the berries.
One Pot Method:
In the green bean step, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Add in the green beans, stir, cover tightly and take off the flame. In cooler temperatures or at higher altitude, insulate to keep warm.
Follow steps above to finish.
Serves 2-3 as a side dish.
