Make Ahead Blanched Green Beans

This simple set of instructions guides the cook through cooking beans to nearly perfect texture, and then dunking them into ice water. The idea is that this critical step is the precursor for many green bean recipes, and is the key for preparing beans so they are neither over-cooked nor undercooked. The blanched green beans then wait in their cold/ice water until dinner is about to be placed on the table, and a quick warm is is all that is needed.

This recipe teaches of Cook's Illustrated Cooking Concept 24: Green Vegetables like it hot - then cold.

This concept is that what we want is tender vegetables but ones that look vibrant. The book goes into detail on the biochemical changes in cells and cell walls that accompany cooking. The background information is excellent - it describes accurately the pH dependence of green vegetables turning that sickly yellow-green color, and admonishes the cook to quickly blanch the vegetables to prevent that color change.