Green Beans (String Beans, Wax Beans)

Sometimes called string beans or wax beans, green beans are a versatile vegetable that is widely available fresh, frozen or canned. They are typically green, but there is also a yellow variety, as well as, less commonly, a purple one.

When purchased fresh, green beans should be firm, and should snap when bent in half. The tough ends are usually cut off before cooking, and the fibrous strip along the edge also removed. The pods can then be cut to shorter lengths if desired.

Canned green beans are an perfect example of how a green bean should not look or taste. Canned green beans are invariably overcooked, as their drab color and mushy consistency will show.

Not as good as fresh but better than canned, frozen green beans are a decent compromise. The nice thing about them is that they're quick frozen but not cooked, which means they retain their color — although their texture suffers a bit in the process of freezing and thawing.

Like other green vegetables, green beans should be cooked quickly, with high heat, preferably in small batches. Steaming or sautéing are ideal cooking methods for preparing green beans. When properly cooked, green beans should still be crisp, and they should have a vibrant, bright green color. Overcooked green beans can be identified by their drab, olive-green color and their mushy texture. Overcooking can also cause nutrient loss.

In addition to overcooking, cooking them in a liquid with a high acid content can also cause green beans to lose their color. That doesn't mean you shouldn't use acid when cooking green beans — lemon juice and green beans are a classic combination. Optimally, we'd sauté the green beans and add a splash of lemon juice at the very end. One instance where the acid would cause a problem is if the green beans were simmered in an acidic tomato sauce.

Conversely, an alkali like baking soda can give green beans a brighter color, but don't try this trick either: it'll make the green beans mushy.

Green beans combine nicely with lemon juice, butter, dill, basil, garlic, onions, mushrooms, as well as soy sauce, almonds, and of course, bacon.