Harvest of the Month: Green Beans
This month, we’re spilling the beans on everything you need to know about green beans, including the best summertime green bean recipes. Learn how to make delicious green bean dishes that will have dinner guests wondering what your secret is.
The first step for getting top-quality green beans is to pick and store them correctly. Fresh green beans are firm, uniform in color, and will snap easily if bent. Many people prefer beans that are as thin as (or thinner than) a pencil for their texture and flavor. Keep the beans in a plastic or burlap bag in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer for up to a week.
Now, it’s time to get cooking. If you’ve ever wanted to know how to cook green beans to perfection, these tips are for you:
When grilling, place seasoned beans in a foil packet and grill the packet over medium heat for about 30 minutes, flipping occasionally. Add a splash of lemon juice once cooked.
To keep the beans crisp, consider blanching them before cooking them. To blanch them, add the green beans to salted boiling water and cook them for two to three minutes. Then, strain the beans and rinse them with cold water. You can top your cooked beans with slivered almonds for an extra crunch.
In many cases, you only need to sauté the beans in a covered pan for about five minutes over medium heat; keep an eye on them and check them frequently while they’re cooking.
There’s more to green beans than their ability to complement a meal — they’re also packed with nutrition. There are about six grams of protein in 90 calories of beans, making them a good choice for those who want a lower-calorie protein option. Green beans are also a good source of potassium, which can help relieve muscle cramps, and folate, which supports healthy cellular function.
Get summer cookout-ready with these appetizing green bean recipes: