Guide

Fruit and Vegetable Guide

Green beans

Summer

Description: Green beans (which may be other colors as well, and are also referred to as string beans) have long, edible pods and small inner beans. Thick Romano beans take longer to cook, and thin, tender haricots verts cook quickly.

Selection: Choose crisp, firm, brightly-colored beans that snap easily. Thinner beans are usually more tender and sweeter.

Storage and handling: Refrigerate green beans no more than a few days in a loosely sealed plastic bag. Before using, wash well.

Preparation: Snap off ends of pods by hand or trim with a small knife. Some green beans have strings that need to be removed before cooking. Very fresh beans are best boiled or steamed to retain their color and flavor, but older beans are more flavorful when braised or roasted. Steam or boil beans about
5 minutes. Roast in the oven (SIS, p. 51). Microwave a half pound of green beans, 4-7 minutes.

Serving suggestions: Eat fresh raw green beans plain. Dress cooked beans with butter, lemon butter, sautéed onions or mushrooms, toasted almonds, Parmesan cheese, ham, or cooked bacon (SIS, p. 114). Add a gingery sauce to steamed green beans (SIS, p. 129).

Nutrients: Vitamins A, C, K; folate; fiber.

1 lb raw = 4 cups
1 lb cooked = 2 1⁄2 cups

The Fruit and Vegetable Guide is reproduced here with permission of Herald Press, publisher of Simply in Season.

Subscribe to a recipe a week from the Simply in Season cookbook.


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