Seasonal Picks: Green Beans

Pick of the crop:

Choose smooth, slender beans that are bright green and crisp. Fresh green beans will keep from 3 to 5 days in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. When you are ready to use them, wash them in cold water and remove the stems.

Green Bean Recipes:

Visit Massachusetts Locally Grown featuring recipes for fruits and vegetables grown in Massachusetts and found at most local farmers’ markets.

Fun facts:

Green beans are tasty, low in calories, and give us many valuable nutrients!
Green beans grow on tall vines. Massachusett’s farmers pick them in summer and early fall.
Open up a green bean and find little beans inside. Green beans are so tender we eat the whole pod.
Green been, string bean, snap bean – they’re all the same!
Bright green and crunchy, green beans are great dippers. Try them with your favorite low-fat dip or salad dressing.
Massachusetts Native Americans grew green beans with corn and squash. They called them the “Three Sisters of Life.”

More Matters! Fruit and Veggie Tips for Kids:

Make green bean French fries! Sprinkle fresh green beans with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out on a shallow pan. Bake at 400° F for 20-25 minutes, turning them over when they’re half-way done.
Use green beans instead of spaghetti. Top some steamed green beans with your child’s favorite spaghetti sauce. Let your child sprinkle them with Parmesan cheese.
Enjoy steamed green beans sprinkled with fresh lemon or orange juice.
Green beans are also great in salads and soups.

A Super Snack Idea:

Sprinkle fresh green beans with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven to make green bean French fries.

Veggie Humor:

Question: What vegetable can tie you up?

Answer: Why, a string bean, of course!