Green Beans 101

        Rumor has it when I was a baby, vegetables were my first favorite food!  (I know, what a weird child; one of my favorites was scallops and spinach sautéed in a white wine sauce--crazy.)  I also loved to smear the puréed veggies all over my face and there are pictures to prove it (that's for another post).  Eventually, I passed the idea down to my younger brother Mac and luckily he kept the tradition alive for much of pre-school.  Once I was old enough to realize that vegetables were not cool (elementary school teaches you what is socially acceptable), I decided I no longer liked vegetables, and particularly anything green.  I upgraded to elbow macaroni and butter (not even sauce, just butter) as my nightly request, but eventually I came full circle and got back on the veggie bandwagon.  I am back to loving veggies (I want to be tall, strong, and healthy when I grow up!)  and green beans are definitely a go-to veggie on my menu.  Green beans are delicious and I love them, just not enough to puré them and smear them all over my face!  Maybe I can still convince my little brother Mac to...


Green beans should be a staple in any cook’s repertoire.  They can be cooked so simply and still be remarkably tasty.  They’re also a great addition to salads to keep things interesting.  Here’s a quick rundown of everything about these simple beans.

When are green beans in season?

Green bean season is year-round, but the peak is between May and October.

How do I choose green beans?

You always want to look for beans that are bright in color (never a dull green) and are relatively slender.  If you try to break off the end of one of the beans, it should make a sharp snap sound (thus the name “snap beans”).  You also want to make sure the outer casing of the pod is fairly opaque; if the seeds can be clearly seen thorough the pod, the beans are likely to be overly mature and will be touch.

How do I store my green beans?

Green beans are an easy vegetable—you just place the unwashed green beans in a covered container in the veggie drawer of the refrigerator.  They will stay delicious for up to 5 days!

How can I prepare my green beans?

There are many ways to cook your green beans, and thankfully they are all easy as pie (or green beans in this case).  To STEAM green beans: you either need a steamer basket (a perforated shallow basket that should fit inside your larger pot and rest on the lip of the pot) or a handy-dandy little electric steamer. (A contributed this to our supply of kitchen gadgets, and I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first.  Now I steam almost all of my veggies, from artichokes to corn, in the steamer every day.  They only cost about $20 and can be found at any Target, Sears, and the like.)  If you don’t have an electric steamer, a steamer basket works just the same.  Simply place the steamer basket in a large saucepan with about 1 inch of water and bring it to a boil.  Place the beans in the basket, cover, and steam until just tender (about 3-4 minutes).  To BLANCH green beans: simply fill a mixing bowl halfway with ice and add enough water to cover the ice.  Cook the beans in boiling, salted water until just tender (again about 3-4 minutes).  Transfer the beans (a slotted spoon makes this a lot easier) to the ice bath until cool (about 1 minute); then drain.  These are the 2 easiest ways to cook green beans, but you can also sauté, bake, grill, or roast them.  Just treat them like any other vegetable and cook until the beans become a vibrant green and are just tender.

The basics in cooking green beans are just that--basic.  Try cooking green beans all of the different ways; if you're you want to sauté, roast, or bake them -- add lots of fresh and thinly sliced garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.  

And voile, you've passed Green Beans 101!
More green bean recipes, coming up.