Beans
Description
For us, green beans are a sign of summer! They are very similar to kidney beans and pinto beans, only we harvest before their pods grow too thick and tough to eat. Because they are unripe, they’re tender and sweet, having a delightfully fresh flavor with a satisfying crunch. Green beans work well in stews and thick purées, or can simply be grilled whole and eaten raw from their pods with salt and a squeeze of lemon.
Nutrition
Green beans are a great source of vitamin A and antioxidants, such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta carotenes, which neutralize harmful free radicals. Vitamin C helps to fight infection, such as in colds or flu, the fiber helps keep your system flushed from toxins, and the carotene zeaxanthin protects eye health from UV rays by absorbing into the retina and helping to protect against macular degeneration. The high folate levels in green beans team up with vitamin B12 to keep DNA production and cell division at optimum levels. Green beans also contain iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium, which are essential for your body’s metabolism.
Storage Tips
Green beans will last for about a week stored in a bag in your crisper drawer. Do not wash your beans until you are ready to use them. They also can be frozen or canned with very good results. To freeze beans, boil them for a few minutes; plunge them into ice-cold water, and then stash them in freezer bags. When canning green beans, blanching for just a couple of minutes beforehand will help the beans retain their “snap” quality. A half-teaspoon of salt added to home-canned beans helps to retain the flavor.
Use
Green beans can be eaten raw or cooked. Wash your fresh beans, break off the end (the top and tail) as you wash them. Leave whole or cut into desired lengths. Beans can be cooked whole, cut crosswise, diagonally or French-cut. If you want sweet-tasting, crisp fresh beans, cut them as little as possible. Make sure all the pieces are similar in length so they will cook evenly. We like sauteing in butter and salt, a quick steam, or just snacking on them raw with dip.
