Vegetable Profile: Green Beans

V​egetable Profile: Green Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
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Description:
Green beans come in many more colors than just green! They are also called string beans, snap beans, wax beans, French beans, and more. In all honesty, any bean harvested at the right stage of immaturity *is* a green bean. The pod is sweet and and crunchy when raw, and the plants either grow in climbing vines (pole beans) or in standing bushes (bush beans). If you don't get to harvesting the beans soon enough, don't worry - you can still harvest the beans for dried beans when they mature and the pods turn brown! 

Nutrition:
Green beans nourish and tonify the spleen and kidneys. They contain significant amounts of calcium and potassium, and when eaten raw they contain vitamin C and B vitamins. 

​Storage:
Think of green beans as baby beans; they are immature, and have tender delicate flesh. They need to be used up quickly before they get soft. Store in a water-proof container in the fridge until use.

Use:
Blanched, steamed, roasted, or stir fried, cooked green beans are delicious! They can also be chopped up into salads raw. 

Sources:
​The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood
Asparagus to Zucchini by Fairshare Coalition
Produce: A fruit and vegetable lover's guide by Bruce Beck
Our own experience!

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