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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
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.
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.
Beans (snap, green, raw), 10 beans (4 inches [10cm] long) (55g)
Calories: 17
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrate: 4g
Total Fat: 0g
Fiber: 2g
*Good source of: Vitamin C (8.96mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.
Copyright © 2007 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. www.healthnotes.com
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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires September 2008.
