What's in Season: Beans

Types: String beans, Common Beans, Pole Beans, Snap Beans, French Beans, Green Beans, Wax Beans, Haricot Verts....!Not all green beans are green. I often hear, "Look at the purple green beans!" (they can't be purple green beans, can they?) Yellow beans lack chlorophyll and keep their ray-of-sunshine colour during cooking. The purple variety, known as Royalty, will actually turn green! I love eating them raw as they are bring green on the inside when you bite into it.

 Buying: Green beans are usually picked immature. You can tell if a bean is past it's prime because the seeds inside will grow to a bulge and the should-be edible pods will become to tough to snap or chew. Make sure that the beans are snappy as a sign of freshness. If bought at a farmers market, you generally will be able to pick through the selection for the highest quality. They should be smooth, firm and without bruises.

 Storing: Try to cook and eat the beans as soon as possible as they will lose moisture after being picked and will quickly show signs of wilting. Keep for about 4 days or in the fridge for a week max. They freeze well, so wash and trim, blanch for 3 minutes, dry and freeze in a labeled plastic bag up to 12 months (unblanched frozen peas will have that rubbery, squeaky mouthfeel to them when thawed. yuck, dad hates that.)

Cooking: When cooked, green beans will turn a deep green as the cell walls break slowly down but they will eventually turn an olive hue when acid (such as vinegar) is added while cooking. The best way to avoid the lovely beans turning to a dreary colour that even a veggie lover would turn its nose up to, is cook with a lot of water (so that the chemicals changing the colours are diluted); after adding the beans to the boiling water bring back to a boil as quickly as possible so that the cooking time isn't prolonged; and to dunk the beans into a bowl of icy water to stop the cooking actions. Make sure to cut off the stems - the tips can be cut off or left on. Wash the beans when ready to be used. 

They can be cooked al dente in salted, boiling water for about 6 minutes - don't cook them until they droop. Don't add the dressing until ready to be served as the acid, as said before, will change the colour.

Fact: fresh seeds are called "flageolets" and dried ones are called "haricots." String beans are actually part of the shell bean family (kidney beans, black beans - any seeds you eat out of the pod) but because these beans are eaten immature, the pods are still edible. 

coffee "beans" are actually the twin stones of a fruit, not a legume and vanila "beans "are the fruit of an orchard not a legume. 

Medical: rich in protein, fiber, iron, and vit c and a. some potassium and folic acid aaand omega-3's! They are rich in beta carotine which is associated with carrots mostly but because of the dense amount of chlorophyll we don't see it. Apparently you can lower your cholesterol levels by 12% from eating a cup of beans a day! Avoid green beans if you have digestion problems such as gallbladder or kidney stones.

Recipe:

escargot with bean salad recipe courtesy of, and now being served at, cava coming soon.....xo