Calico green bean salad recipe (1968) - Click Americana (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep green beans snappy? ›

An ice bath keeps green beans snappy and bright. Put those blanched, shocked green beans to work: No matter how you plan to prepare green beans—sautéed, blistered, or baked into a casserole—blanching is a good place to start.

Then, I toss the blanched beans with olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and salt to pep up their flavor. Serve them just like that, or dress them up more with toasted almonds or pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, or fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or thyme.

The only part of the bean that always needs to be removed is the tip of the stem end (this is sometimes called "topping" the bean), where the pod was once attached to the rest of the plant. There is no practical need to remove the tail end of a green bean—the choice to do so is aesthetic.

Just prior to using the green beans, wash them under running water. Remove both ends of the beans by either snapping them off or cutting them with a knife. If you are snapping the ends off, pull the end down the side of the bean to remove any possible string.

People usually snap green beans into smaller pieces before cooking therefore they are called snap beans. I do snap and destring our beans before I freeze, can or cook them. The first step in this process is to snap off each end of the bean and then snap the bean again, usually in half or thirds.

Extremely hot temperatures while the bean is forming on the vine can cause a certain amount of toughness. High temperatures can also interfere with pollination which can also result in tough beans. Also, remember that the half-runner type bean has natural tendencies for genetic variations such as flat or tough beans.