Green beans sometimes called pole beans grow on a vine and are actually pods with little beans inside them. Beans were grown by Native Americans in fields along with the corn. Green beans have been grown in this country ever since. Green beans are a delicious side dish for any meal. They can be found in many variations such as Italian style, French style and simply cut.

Fresh green beans can be found at the Farmers market or in you local grocery store. It’s easy to grab a handful of fresh green beans and place them in a bag. They may also be found canned or frozen. Fresh green beans do have a much sweeter taste than canned green beans. The salt added to canned green beans may be the reasoning behind the taste. Most everyone would agree that green beans from the garden are the best.

When picking fresh green beans be sure to look at them closely. Don’t choose ones with spots or that are torn at the ends. The beans should be green and not brown. Some fresh beans can be found in purple or yellow varieties. Before cooking them, snap the ends off and snap any long beans in half. Rinse the beans under cool water to remove any dirt from them before cooking.

It doesn’t take long to cook green beans. They can be steamed in a small amount of water with potatoes, bacon pieces or chunks of ham. Green beans are tasty sautéed in some olive oil with onion. Snap beans can be used in stir fry mixtures as well. Fresh green beans have a bright green color when cooked and their shape should be maintained during cooking. Over cooking green beans will dull the bright green color and cause them to wilt leaving you with a bad tasting bean. Beans are usually served with some starch and meat for a complete meal. At Christmas time they take center stage in green bean casseroles. It is a popular dish at the holidays.

Fresh vegetables don’t last longer than a couple of weeks at their best. It is a good idea not to buy more than you can use at any one time. If you want to store your green beans to be used later blanch them for a few minutes. After the beans have cooled off, store them in freezer bags to be eaten at a later date. Allow the beans to thaw before cooking or adding them to your favorite recipes.

Green beans are a healthy addition to any diet. They are a fat free food and contain many nutrients such as vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and protein. They also contain very little carbohydrates. Fresh green beans are a healthy addition to any meal so enjoy all the green beans you like.