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Fell in love with some green bean chips I found at the local health food store. It doesn't have any info on the packaging about how they're made, but they're just green beans that look full (not shriveled) and are crunchy.

I've tried baking at high temps, baking at low temps and dehydrating. The first two got me shriveled but soft results, and dehydrating got me crunchy and shriveled results. Any idea how chips like these are made, and how I might be able to duplicate them?

Wanted to try a convection approach, but we don't have a convection oven.

Valkyrie
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  • Do they taste like they have been cooked at all? I suspect that the method is actually a combination of some sort of heat treatment, as well as freeze drying. It may or may not be practical to reproduce at home. – SAJ14SAJ Jan 23 '13 at 20:33
  • No, they don't. They're sweet, like they've been roasted (which is why I went to the oven first) but other than that I can't tell that they were cooked at all. – Valkyrie Jan 23 '13 at 20:50
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    I wish I had a more detailed thought for you. Suggest you take and post a photo, and the ingredient list. Hopefully someone else will have an inspiration to share. – SAJ14SAJ Jan 23 '13 at 20:54
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    Google "freeze dried green beans", do the products you get from that look right? In which case, freeze drying probably isn't something you can do at home, unfortunately. – derobert Jan 23 '13 at 20:57
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    This seems like it might be what you are looking for http://www.twirlandtaste.com/2012/07/crispy-green-bean-chips-la-low-carb.html It specifies steam blanching the green beans, followed by an ice bath. Then freezing them for 45 minutes followed by 8+ hours in a 140 degree oven. From the photo, they appear like the ones I've had as part of a "veggie chip" mix. – djmadscribbler Jan 24 '13 at 01:22
  • @djmadscribbler they LOOK right. Make this one an answer; I'm gonna try them today (working at home doth have its advantages). – Valkyrie Jan 24 '13 at 10:26
  • You should also have a look here. It's done with asparagus but green beans should work well also. http://www.playingwithfireandwater.com/foodplay/2009/07/crispy-asparagus.html – Brendan Jan 24 '13 at 17:58
  • @djmadscribbler So far for that attempt. Maybe my dehydrator is too ambitious; they came out shriveled just like the others. – Valkyrie Jan 27 '13 at 11:31
  • What are the ingredients? If there's oil in them, I'd be inclined to toss them in oil, and follow recipes for oven fries. – Joe Jan 28 '13 at 19:57
  • Green beans, oil, salt. I've tried making fries like I do with starchy roots but they just shrivel up. At least that way they're sweet; with the dehydrator they tasted like grass. It took out all the flavor. (I still haz a sad.) – Valkyrie Jan 29 '13 at 12:22

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Here is a pretty good looking description:

http://www.twirlandtaste.com/2012/07/crispy-green-bean-chips-la-low-carb.html

They suggest the following procedure:

Wash the fresh, small green beans in cold water.

Cut off and tough ends.

Steam blanches the beans by placing a few inches of water in the bottom of a pot and bringing to a boil. Make sure the water is not high enough to get inside the steamer pan. Place beans in steamer pan or wire basket and steam for three to four minutes.

Remove beans from steamer and plunge into cold or ice water for five minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain beans with strainer.

Place green beans on a cookie sheet in single layer. Freeze for 45 minutes. Cook in the oven on the cookie sheet at 140 degrees until the beans are crisp and all moisture has been removed. Cooking times vary and may take 8 -14 hours. If using a food dehydrator, place beans on dehydrator tray and cook at 135 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 -12 hours until crisp.

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