String Bean Recipes

For many, the childhood memory of snapping and stringing beans for string bean recipes is an early memory of helping out in the kitchen. Removing the tough strings along the edge of the bean pod was a labor-intensive process, but there was something relaxing about it at the same time.

Today, the real "string bean" is a thing of the past. Growers have bred beans that no longer contain the tough strings, so today's string beans are normally called "snap" beans. They grow in two different varieties, bush and pole, depending on whether they need to be staked up to grow or not. Still, the common name of string bean lives on. When you see them called for in string bean recipes, you can use green beans or snap beans interchangeably.

Green beans, and all beans for that matter, are part of the legume family of plants, which includes peas, too. There are two types of beans – fresh and dried. Green beans are from the fresh bean side of the family and are actually harvested when they are considered immature. If they were mature, they would dry and join the dry bean side of the family.

There are two general types of green beans that you'll find in the produce section of your local grocery store. One type has round, thin pods, while the other type has flat, broad pods. It seems that the flat types tend to have a more powerful "green bean" flavor.

Green beans actually originated in areas of South and Central America and, since they originated in warm climates, they don't tend to keep too well in the refrigerator. If you do refrigerate them for your string bean recipes, make sure to keep them tightly wrapped in plastic. They are tender and relatively delicate and you should eat them quickly after purchase, perhaps a couple of days at most.

When you buy string beans, look for long, thin pods that are free of blemishes. They should be crisp and have a bright green color. Avoid broken beans or beans that look as if they have damage from insects. Beans should be smooth rather than lumpy (lumpy beans are old and too mature) and they shouldn't be wrinkled. The best time to buy fresh green beans is around June through October.

Canned green beans tend to lose a lot of their flavor and texture in the canning process. If you can't find fresh green beans at your supermarket, try looking for fresh frozen green beans for your recipes. They come in a variety of types and sizes, from French-cut to the tiny and tender "haricot verts." Choose a good, reputable brand and frozen green beans can be nearly as good as their fresh cousins.

• Bush Beans – This refers to the way the beans grow. Bush beans don't need to be staked up or trellised, and they come in many varieties.
• French-cut Beans – French-cut beans are cut along the length of the bean, rather than across the width. This makes them extremely long and thin. This can also sometimes refer to regular green beans that are sliced diagonally rather than straight across the bean.
• Haricots Verts – These are very thin and extremely tender beans and this is the French term for these beans. They are much smaller than traditional green beans and have a more intense flavor.
• Pole Beans— This also refers to the way the beans grow. These beans have to have support as they twine their way toward the sky. They are easier to pick than bush beans, but otherwise, they have essentially the same characteristics.
• Yard-Long Beans— (Long beans). Often, these beans show up in Thai or other Asian recipes. They also keep better in the refrigerator than at room temperature, and they are drier and firmer after cooking than other varieties.

Green beans contain a variety of essential nutrients and vitamins, like Vitamin A, C, and K, along with magnesium and many other minerals. Plus, they have less than 50 calories per 1 cup!

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