Snap beans–also called green beans–are tender annuals best planted shortly after the last frost in spring. Snap beans are grown for fresh eating or for canning. The color of snap beans can vary. Green beans are green but other snap beans can be yellow, purple, or speckled depending on the variety. Yellow snap beans are […] More
Fresh, tender snap beans have a delicate flavor that is delicious eaten raw or just lightly cooked. Both the immature seeds and seed pods are edible. Green beans are snap beans, but snap beans can also be yellow, purple, and splotched in multiple colors. The peak season for fresh local snap beans is late spring […] More
Harvest snap beans (also known as green or string beans) before the seeds swell in the pods when they are no more than the diameter of a pencil. Smaller beans can be served as tender, baby snap beans. When to harvest snap beans Related articles: How to harvest snap beans How to store snap beans […] More
Green beans are easy to can. You pick them, quickly snap or cut them in half or short pieces, simmer them for four minutes or less, pack them in jars, and process them in the canner for less than half an hour. Canned beans are delicious and versatile; they can be served as a side […] More
Here is a simple recipe for les haricots verts à l’ail or green beans with garlic. Serve this simple side dish with pasta, chicken, steak, or salmon. This recipe comes from La Cuisine du Comté de Nice by Jacques Médecin. Médecin was the mayor of Nice and also a chef in that city for many […] More
Dried beans are cooked and served in many ways–in salads, soups, casseroles, stews, and chilis. Dried beans can be served alone or as a side dish with meat or pasta or rice. Dried beans are commonly boiled and then sometimes baked or refried. Dried beans are beans whose seeds are dried and shelled after reaching […] More
Shell beans are any members of the legume family that are shucked or shelled. All beans grow in pods. Shell beans are cooked and served after they have been shelled. The pod is not eaten. Shell beans include black-eyed peas, cranberry beans, fava beans, and lima beans. Shell beans are also called shellies, shellouts, shelly […] More
The fava bean—which is also known as the broad bean, English bean, Windsor bean, and horsebean–can be eaten fresh or dried. As fava beans mature, their flavor grows increasingly starchy and strong. The smallest beans—less than the size of a small fingernail—are the sweetest. The outer skins of medium- and large-sized fava beans have a […] More
How do you cook peas? Peas are cooked in the least possible amount of water and in just the time for them to become just tender. The French cook peas in the water it takes to moisten lettuce leaves. Line a saucepan with damp greens and a few pea pods, pour in the shelled peas, […] More
The chickpea or garbanzo bean is a cool-season annual that requires about 100 days to reach harvest. Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans and gram, are regarded as beans, but botanically are neither beans nor peas. Chickpea is a tender annual legume. Related article: Chickpea quick growing tips Garden Planning Books at Amazon: Planting chickpeas Chickpea […] More
Lima beans are tender annuals grown for their flat, crescent-oval-shaped seeds. There are two types of lima beans: bush and pole or vine varieties. Bush types grow to about 2 feet tall (.6m) and tend to have smaller seeds; they bear more quickly than pole lima bean varieties. Pole lima beans have large seeds and […] More
You can plant, grow, and harvest snap beans and other beans in containers. Growing beans in containers are ideal for balconies, decks, patios, rooftops, and other urban gardens. Beans can also be grown indoors under lights. Many apartment gardeners like to grow bush beans because they can grow three to six plants in a large […] More
Stephen Albert