The Best Green Bean Recipe
This is how I cook them at home every single time.
Until recently, I thought green beans were all the same. But the more I grow them, I have learned that they have so much potential.
It’s not that commercially produced beans are wrong, but they are boring, flavorless, and when they become too big, they can have tough strings.
Beans come in different shapes and colors from yellow to purple. The purple color comes from anthocyanins. This pigment makes for a pretty picture at harvest, but when cooked, the color acts as a timer and fades away when they are done.
If you have the choice, select an assortment so that you can taste the different varieties.
Smaller beans are more tender, but beans are time-consuming to pick by hand. Farmers will make harvesting faster by skipping over the small beans until they grow larger, so they have a better yield.
Larger farms that specialize in green beans will harvest them by machine. But most farms are all buying seeds from the same place, and beans from small farms can taste the same as what’s at the store.
Bush Versus Pole Beans
Bush beans grow in a bush, and most of the beans will be ready to harvest at the same time. Farms plant bush beans so that they pick from a row one or two times. Then those plants slow production, and they harvest next time from new plants.
Pole beans produce a smaller quantity at one time, but they will provide over six to eight weeks. I like to grow these at home because they grow upwards, don’t take as much space, and I can harvest a few handfuls for that night’s dinner in a few minutes.
Shelling beans are grown until the seeds inside the pod are big enough to eat on their own. You can pick them early eat them when young and tender like green beans too.
Preparation
When you bring beans home, store them without washing in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Trim the ends when you are ready to use them or just a day or two before.
Slice long beans in half or leave the beans whole if you like. Long beans are fun for kids and adults to eat with their hands like French fries.
The Simplest Recipe
When cooking green beans, there is a fine line between cooking enough and cooking too much.
Green beans, like dry beans, are better for your tummy when cooked thoroughly. They can be flavorful when simmered until soft, in sauce, or cooked in a soup, but when overcooked, their texture can become mushy.
Undercooked green beans are mild and crisp, but they are better when cooked all the way through, but of course, not overcooked.
In a restaurant, they pre-cook green beans before dinner, blanching in boiling water, and then chilling them in ice water before dinner. When you order them, they heat the beans in a small pan, preferably with a little garlic.
This method works perfectly in a restaurant when you are making vegetables for a hundred people a night. Your two pans get used over and over again, but at home, cleaning two pans is more work than cleaning one pan. And cleaning is half the work of cooking.
Now that I’ve scared you a little, I’m going to contradict my idea of a perfectly cooked green bean, with my favorite kitchen hack, sauteing first and then add liquid to steam the vegetables until done.
Any time I can dirty one pan instead of two, I’m a happy cook. You can cook the beans well enough for you and your family with this method.
I go to this recipe time and time again, with only a little variation, I might add some onion if I’m out of garlic.
It works well, and everyone eats it.
Sautéed Green Beans
- 1 pound of green beans, ends removed, cut in half if desired
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine (optional)
- ¼ cup of water
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
In a large sauté pan with a lid, cook the beans, garlic, salt, and butter or oil over medium heat, for about 3–4 minutes, or until the garlic starts to brown. Add the white wine and continue cooking uncovered until the wine has evaporated. Add the water and cover the pan, cooking about 3–4 minutes more until the beans are cooked. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Eat right away.
Storing Beans for More Than a Month
Beans are best frozen if you need to store them. Following the directions from the National Center for Home Food Preservation, cook the beans in boiling water for 3 minutes and then remove, plunge in an ice water bath to stop the cooking, and let the beans dry before freezing in sealed bags or containers. The cooking step stops enzyme actions that affect color, flavor, and texture.
I also like to make refrigerator pickles with green beans. Pickled beans make a great appetizer over the holidays when you need something that you can pull out and serve right away.
Enjoy Them at Their Best
Beans are available fresh from late spring until early fall. You can get them in good condition at the grocery store until Thanksgiving, avoid them in the winter.
If you get the opportunity, try as many types of fresh beans that you can. Their flavor and texture will get you excited about plain old beans. If you have a little bit of space, try growing them at home.