Get Recipes

Green beans

What are green beans? About the ingredient green beans. Including 544 recipes with green beans, nutrition data, photos, and where to find it.

About

Major sources in the US are Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, and California.

Purchasing Guide

Look for straight pods that are crisp enough to snap easily, free from scars and rust, as well as smooth and we

Usually green beans are sold by weight. 1 pound or ½ kg of green beans, cooked yields about 2 cups.ll filled but with immature seeds.

Green beans are also sold dried but are only available in limited quantities. They are a Pennsylvania Dutch specialty.

Storage

Place in the refrigerator in a bag or moisture proof covered container. Plan to use them as soon as possible. Beans may seem indestructible, but in time they will toughen and lose some of their fresh flavor and color.

Refrigerator shelf, raw: 3 to 5 days

Refrigerator shelf, cooked and covered: 1 to 4 days

Refrigerator freezer, prepare for freezing: 1 month

Deep Freezer, prepared for freezing: 10 months

Basic Preparation

Wash well in cold water; sort according to size if necessary. Rem

ove stems and tops (if desired) with a paring knife and

Leave whole

Snap or cut straight across into 1 inch (2 ½ cm) pieces

Cut on the diagonal into thin shreds of slices

French cut: sliced one or more times lengthwise with a shape knife, or but through a bean slicer.

To Cook

Heat about 1 inch (2 ½ cm) of water in a saucepan to a boil. Add ½

teaspon of salt per pound of beans to the water. Add the beans and bring to a rapid boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, continue cooking testing

periodically until just tender crisp. Depending on the beans it may take up to 10 minutes. Cook the green beans for the shortest amount of time possible to “just barely tender” for the maximum flavor. Drain and dunk into an ice-water bath to stop the cooking and lock in an appealing bring green color. See photos.

When ready to serve quickly reheat with butter in a skillet, taste adjust seasonings and serve.

To Freeze

Wash and trim beans. Leave young beans whole, or cut into 1-inch (2 ½ cm) pieces, or French cut. Blanch in a large pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Cool quickly in an ice-water bath. Drain in a colander and pack with ½ headspace in freezer containers. Refrigerate for an hour or more then freeze.