How to Store Green Beans? - Best Way to Store Vegetables in Fridge

Green Beans (commonly Phaseolus vulgaris sp.), also called snap beans, don’t strictly have to be green in color—the “green” in their name refers to the fact that they are immature, unripe, and fresh beans. They are distinguished from the many differing varieties of beans in that green beans are harvested and consumed with their enclosing pods, usually before the seeds inside have fully matured.

Green Beans are identified by many common names, including string beans, snap beans, French beans, and snaps.

The whole bean (seeds and pods) can be eaten. Green Beans can actually be yellow, purple, speckled, or striped. 

How long can fresh green beans stay in refrigerator? Green Beans Will Remain Fresh for Up to 1 Week When Properly Stored


Best Way to Store Green Beans in the Fridge

Do fresh green beans need to be refrigerated? YES! Green Beans will become limp, wilted and lose their freshness if not stored properly. If you are not going to prepare them the day you bring them home from the market, store them correctly so as to maintain their flavor and their nutrients. Eat as soon as possible because green beans lose moisture and sweetness quickly after being picked.

Green Beans continue to respire even after they have been harvested; their respiration rate at room temperature (68°F/20°C) is 130 mg/kg/hr. Slowing the respiration rate with appropriate storage method is the key to extending their flavor and nutritional benefits. 

1) Store fresh green beans in the refrigerator. The colder temperature will slow the respiration rate, assisting to preserve their nutrients and keeping Green Beans fresh for a longer period of time.

2) Do not wash Green Beans before refrigeration because exposure to water will promote Green Beans to spoil.

3) “Best way to store vegetables in fridge”. Place Green Beans in a plastic reusable freshness green storage bag before refrigerating. Based on our experiments, it is best to wrap the bag tightly around the Green Beans, squeezing out as much of the air from the bag as possible.

4) How to store vegetables in fridge without plastic? You can also try this alternative method. Refrigerate green beans in a paper bag inside an open plastic bag for up to 7 days. 

Can you freeze cooked fresh green beans?

How to keep vegetables fresh longer in refrigerator? Properly stored, cooked green beans will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. To further extend the shelf life of cooked green beans, freeze it. Freeze in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer wrap.

How do I store blanched green beans?

Store in a zip-top plastic bag in refrigerator up to 2 days.

How long do you blanch French green beans?

Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for just 4 minutes. Drain immediately and submerge in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When they are cool, drain and set aside.

Are green beans still good if they have brown spots?

A few brown spots scattered here and there on a bunch of green beans mean they're getting a little aged, and won't be the freshest beans you'll eat. But it doesn't mean you can't—or shouldn't eat them. Not that they'll taste off otherwise, it's just that you're not going to have a perfect bean experience.

How to Buy Green Beans?

The best way to select green beans. It is best when Green Beans are sold loose, so you can sort through them and select the best quality beans. The best tasting beans feel smooth; have a vibrant green color and firm. 

Green beans should have some snap when bent in half and should not be wilted, shriveled or rubbery. Long beans and haricots verts are more tender and therefore more flexible, but should still be crisp. Avoid dark spots, dry divots, and other blemishes.

Select beans of similar size to ensure uniform cooking. By selecting the best tasting green beans, you will also be getting beans with the highest nutritional content. Like all vegetables, it is best to select organically grown green beans whenever possible. 

Avoid Green Beans that have brown spots or areas that are soft, bruised, wrinkled or have tough skin. Beans that are beginning to turn yellow are no longer fresh except for YELLOW WAX BEANS.

What are the Varieties of Green Beans?

Unknown varieties you should try:

1) YELLOW WAX BEANS. Crisp, crunchy, and meaty; mild, classic fresh bean flavor.

YELLOW WAX BEANS

2) SCARLET RUNNER BEANS (Phaseolus coccineus sp.). They have broad, flat, green pods that contain scarlet seeds.

SCARLET RUNNER BEANS 

3) ROMANO BEANS. Also known as Italian Green Beans or Flat Green Beans, they have broad, flat, bright green pods. Pods are edible and crunchy when raw and tender when cooked. They are most commonly found frozen.

ROMANO BEANS

4) HARICOT VERTS or French green beans. These are a slender French version of the American Snap Bean. Very skinny and available in yellow and purple as well as green; sweet flavor and delicate texture. 

HARICOT VERTS 

5) CHINESE LONG BEANS. Also known as Yard-Long or Asparagus Beans, these thin Green Beans can measure up to 18 inches in length. It is popular in Asian cuisines. They have a mild flavor and are a good choice for stir-fry dishes.

CHINESE LONG BEANS

6) SNAP BEANS. It is also called String Beans. This is the most popular variety of Green Beans. Their name was derived from the sound that occurs when the ends are snapped off to remove the tough string that runs along the seam of older varieties of Snap Beans. Most of the Snap Beans you find in the market today no longer have strings (now bred to be stringless). The traditional green bean can also be purple and purple-streaked; round, slender pod.

SNAP BEANS

7) Kentucky Blue

8) Derby

9) Purple Teepee (purple pods)

10) Kentucky Wonder

11) Algarve

12) Blue Lake

13) Blue Lake 274

14) Improved Commodore / Bush Kentucky Wonder


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REFERENCES:

Cara Mangini. 2016. The Vegetable Butcher: How to Select, Prep, Slice, Dice, and Masterfully Cook Vegetables from Artichokes to Zucchini. Workman Publishing Company. ISBN-13: 978-0761180524

George Mateljan. 2015. World's Healthiest Foods, 2nd Edition: The Force For Change To Health-Promoting Foods and New Nutrient-Rich Cooking, Second edition. GMF Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-0976918516

How to Cook Summer Squash? – Georgia Yellow Squash Casserole with Sour Cream

What is Summer Squash?

Is summer squash and yellow squash the same thing? Not to be confused with yellow squash, yellow zucchini, at times called golden zucchini; don't taper at the neck like summer squash. Its shape is similar to that of classic green zucchini, though its taste is a little sweeter. Use it in sweet or savory recipes, raw or cooked — just as you would green zucchini.


What is considered a summer squash? Summer squash are squash that are harvested when immature or unripe, while the rind is still tender and edible. Nearly all summer squashes are varieties of Cucurbita pepo, though not all Cucurbita pepo are considered summer squashes.


Is summer squash and zucchini the same thing? They are the same thing. Zucchini is the Italian word for the fruit which the French call a courgette. In the Canada and USA, we refer to most Cucurbita pepo as “squash,” which it is believed comes from a Native American word. So all Zucchini are squash but not all squash are zucchinis.

The zucchini or courgette is a summer squash which can reach nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo.


What is a winter squash and summer squash? Winter squash have a hard skin and flesh (this includes calabaza, butternut, buttercup, acorn, delicate, Hubbard, spaghetti, sweet dumpling, and Turban, as well as pumpkin). To cut winter squash in half, take hold of the squash firmly and use a sharp knife to slice through to the center.


Yellow Summer Squash Nutrition

How many calories are in yellow summer squash? There are 18 calories in 1 cup of sliced Yellow Summer Squash. 

Calorie breakdown: 8% fat, 67% carbohydrate, 24% protein.

Are yellow squash good for you? Also known as summer squash, yellow varieties of squash provide numerous health benefits. The vegetable is high in vitamins A, B6, and C, folate, magnesium, fiber, riboflavin, phosphorus, and potassium. That's a potent nutritional power-packed veggie. Yellow squash is also rich in manganese.


Is yellow squash good for diabetics? Can Diabetics Eat Yellow Squash? A source of vitamin C, vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin, yellow squash can be a regular component of a healthy diet for people with diabetes to control blood sugar levels.

Georgia Yellow Squash Casserole with Sour Cream Recipe

How do you cook summer squash? It is very easy! The story around this squash recipe reminds us that we all have our favorite casseroles and comfort dishes from our childhood.

This is the most popular squash recipe in Georgia. This is the ORIGINAL RECIPE came from Aunt Fannie’s Cabin, in Smyrna, Georgia. The restaurant is now closed, but its squash casserole lives on. 

Aunt Fannie was a freed slave of an old Georgia family who remained with the family until her death.

The menu at the Cabin represented many of the dishes that Aunt Fannie prepared for the family.


Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS:

Cooking spray
3 pounds yellow summer squash, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 large eggs
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup saltine crackers, crushed or Ritz Crackers
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)


COOKING DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9 × 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

2) In a large saucepan set over high heat, combine 3 cups of water and the squash and bring to a boil. Boil until squash is fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the squash in a colander, transfer to a bowl, and mash it with a fork. Add the onion, eggs, ¼ cup of the butter, the sugar, salt, and pepper, and stir well. Also add the sour cream if you want. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

3) Melt the remaining ¼ cup of butter and pour it over the top of the casserole. 

4) Sprinkle with the crushed crackers. Bake for about 1 hour, or until brown on top. Serve hot.


Quick Cooking Tips:

a) This dish can be made GLUTEN-FREE by using gluten-free saltines.

b) This recipe can be made DIABETIC-FRIENDLY by substituting a pinch of stevia for the sugar. Note that you only need a pinch, as stevia is about 300 times sweeter than sugar. You should also replace the saltine cracker topping with a low-carb bread crumb, or simply omit it.


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REFERENCE:

Crystal Cook, Sandy Pollock. 2013. The Casserole Queens Make-a-Meal Cookbook: Mix and Match 100 Casseroles, Salads, Sides, and Desserts. Clarkson Potter. ISBN-13: 978-0770436803

George Mateljan. 2007. The World's Healthiest Foods: Essential Guide for the Healthiest Way of Eating, 1st edition. World's Healthiest Foods. ISBN-10: 0976918544