Franklin County

   June 2009
 

June brings bushels of beans

Farmer’s Markets and local gardens are producing a bountiful crop of green beans and yellow wax beans.

Fresh green beans can be enjoyed in salads, stir fry, or simply boiled for a fresh taste of summer. Extra green beans can be canned, frozen or pickled for later enjoyment.

One bushel of green beans (30 pounds) will yield 30 to 45 pints. Plan to pick 2/3 to 1 pound for each pint of canned beans.

Section. Look for crisp, tender beans without scars, rust spots, or insect bites. Pods should be well-shaped with small seeds. Length is  unimportant. Green beans should feel pliable and velvety, not hard or tough.

Storage. Store fresh green beans in the refrigerator in plastic bags up to 2-4 days. Wash green beans  in cold water just before using, not before refrigerator storage. 

Preparation. Newer varieties of green beans are more tender and do not require as long a cooking period as the older varieties. Trim and cut green beans into 1-inch pieces just before using. Vegetables cut or chopped ahead of time lose nutrients more quickly than whole vegetables. Most varieties of green beans are now “stringless," so no strings need be removed.

One pound of fresh green beans makes five to six servings.

For best color, flavor, and nutrient retention: Bring a small amount of water to boil - not more than 1-inch in the bottom of a pan for one pound of green beans. Add green beans and cook uncovered for the first few minutes to let some of the volatile acids escape in the steam (this will preserve the bright green color). Cover and cook until just tender crisp. One pound of crosscut green beans will be ready to serve in 13 to 15 minutes. Overheating and overcooking cause discoloration .

Freezing.  Before freezing, blanch green beans to destroy enzymes that cause flavor and color changes during storage.

Select young tender green, snap, or wax bean pods when the seed is first formed. Wash in cold water and cut into 1-inch or 2-inch pieces, or slice lengthwise. Water blanch 3 minutes. Cool promptly, drain, package, seal and freeze.

Store at 0°F for up to 10 months. Green beans can be tray frozen and packaged in large freezer bags. Beans remain loose and can be poured from the container when needed and the package reclosed.

To cook frozen green, snap, or wax beans, heat 1-inch frozen pieces for 12 to 18 minutes in boiling water. Cook frozen Julienne strips for 5 to 10 minutes.

Frozen green beans may be substituted for fresh or canned beans in most recipes.

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		University of Missouri Extension Franklin County Site maintained by: Billie Jo Brenner, brennerbj@missouri.edu Last revised: 07/02/08