Beans

Snap beans are a true American food. They were grown by Native Americans, who would plant them with corn and let the beans grow up the stalk with the corn. Snap beans probably originated in Central America and Southern Mexico.

Beans are available year-round with peak seasons in the spring and fall. Many varieties of green beans exist, but they are difficult for consumers to tell apart in the store. Snap beans come in green, purple and yellow colors.

 

Choose beans that are long and straight and are without decay or rust spots. Beans should snap easily when they are bent.

Raw preparation

Snap beans are not generally eaten raw, although they can be simply rinsed, snapped into bite-size pieces and eaten.

Cooking

When cooking beans, cook them a minimal amount of time. Beans should retain a bright color when cooked. Steaming or stir-frying works best for snap beans as the beans should retain some crispness when cooked. Snap beans are good in casseroles and salads. They can be steamed by themselves or tossed with other cooked vegetables.

Baking

Snap beans are generally served as a side dish, but they can be baked in casseroles.

Freezing

Snap beans should be blanched for three minutes before freezing. Beans should be cooled, then placed in a freezer-safe container and frozen.

1 pound beans = 3-3½ cups

Keep beans at a temperature about 40 F; if beans are kept at below 40 F, they can be damaged by the cold.

U.S. Fancy
U.S. No. 1
U.S. Combination
U.S. No. 2

Snap beans are a fat-free food that is a good source of carbohydrates. They also contain moderate amounts of protein, fiber, vitamin C and beta carotene. Nutrition Facts Serving Size 3/4 cup cut beans (83g) Amount Per Serving Calories 20   Calories from Fat 0 % Daily Value* Total Fat 0g   0%      Saturated Fat 0g   0%      Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg   0% Sodium 0mg   0% Total Carbohydrate 5g   2%      Dietary Fiber 3g   12%      Sugars 2g Protein 1g Vitamin A 4% *   Vitamin C 10% Calcium 4% *   Iron 2% *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

• Snap beans got their nickname from the snapping sound they make when being broken.
• String beans are called that because most varieties used to have a long fibrous string that ran along the seam of the bean. The strings have been mostly bred out of commercial varieties of beans.

Food Resource http://food.oregonstate.edu/faq/janfaq/greenbean2.html

The Packer’s Produce Availability and Merchandising Guide
www.thepacker.com/theguide/theguide-home.asp
University of Illinois Extension http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/beans1.html

The Cook’s Thesaurus
Foodreference.com
www.foodreference.com