Tips & tricks to make this super healthy bean a sensational side
Best to buy
Fresh green beans peak from May to October.
Cut & clean
Wash beans thoroughly in cold water and trim the tips.
Quick tip
Whatever cooking method you choose, remember to cook beans just until tender using the smallest amount of water. They should remain bright green.
French cut
French-style beans are cut into ribbon-thin lengths. To create, trim the beans, and, using a sharp knife, cut into thin strands.
Also indexed as: Baby French Beans, Blue Lake Green Beans, Chinese Long Beans, Haricot Beans, Italian Beans, Purple Beans, Snap Beans, String Beans, Wax Beans, Yard-Long Beans
Varieties
The most common varieties of green beans include plain green beans (Blue Lake is a good variety), Italian (flat Romano), purple-podded (indistinguishable from baby green beans when cooked), yard-long, and wax beans (which are usually pale yellow).
Many similar varieties are also available, including baby French, haricot, and Chinese long. Baby French and haricot beans are thinner and more tender than conventional long beans. Chinese long beans measure 12 to 14 inches (30.48–35.56cm) in length and are prepared the same as regular green beans.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Before cooking, wash beans thoroughly in clear, cool water, and trim the tips.
Boiling, steaming, microwaving, and stir-frying are popular ways to prepare beans. Whatever cooking method you choose, remember to cook beans just until tender using the smallest amount of water; they should remain bright green.
Green beans can be served on their own or used in salads, casseroles, soups, and stir-fries—either whole, frenched (cut lengthwise), or cut into inch-long pieces. They can also be pickled.
To French beans (cut them into ribbon-thin lengths), trim the beans and, using a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler with frenching blades at one end, cut the beans into thin strands.
Nutritional Highlights
Beans (snap, green, raw), 10 beans (4 inches [10cm] long) (55g)
Calories: 17
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrate: 4g
Total Fat: 0.06g
Fiber: 1.9g
Copyright 2007, Healthnotes, Inc., 1505 S.E. Gideon St., Suite 200, Portland, Oregon 97202, www.Healthnotes.com.
2006-09-07
