Cooking Green Beans

If cooking green beans isn't a regular event at your household, then read on.  If you're serving your kids green beans out of the can, then stop!  Really!!  I was once like you.  Even though I KNEW how much better they tasted (when I got them at restaurants) and how much better they are for us, I didn't think I had TIME to prepare fresh green beans.

I figured that canned green vegetables were better than no green vegetables so, on a regular basis, I emptied a can of green beans into a pot and heated them up on the stove (Yes, I know that I could have done it in the microwave.)  The really funny thing is that I spent just about as much time as cooking fresh green beans would have taken!

I thought it was due to lack of TIME but, really, I just didn't how to cook green beans!  I had no idea that it's actually very easy.  Now I know and, boy, is it embarrassing to admit this to all of you.  Hopefully, you'll understand where I'm coming from and I'll help some other Mom (or Dad) out there learn how to cook this simple, wonderfully healthy vegetable.  OK.  Here we go…

The easiest method for cooking green beans:

My all-time favorite quick and easy method for preparing fresh green beans (that my kids will actually EAT) is this (written recipe-style below):  Buy a bag of already trimmed fresh green beans.  Boil a medium to large pot of water.  Wash the green beans and throw them in the pot (without the bag) and boil for about 4 minutes.  This is really called blanching.  They'll turn a bright green color in the process.  This will make a nice, crunchy bean.  If you prefer yours mushy, boil them a little longer.  Empty the beans into a colander to drain the water.  Pour or spray olive oil all over the beans (you don't need much) and then sprinkle a little garlic salt (or salt if you prefer) and serve.  That's it!

Of course, this method work just as well with fully fresh green beans (meaning NOT in a bag.)  You just have to wash and trim the ends off first.  There's typically time for this while the water's boiling.  You can either cut off the tips (about ¼ - ½ inch) OR snap them off with your thumbnail.  As you snap the end of a bean off, pull it down the side of the bean to remove any possible string. Do the same thing with the other tip, pulling it down the other side of the bean. I'm not sure why but I prefer "snapping" them to cutting them. Either way, just remove those ends and wash.

Frozen green beans are the next best thing to fresh.  Same method applies.

Some people pour cold water over them after draining in a colander to stop the cooking.  You'll definitely want to do this if you're not serving them right away.  They'll stay fresh-tasting for several hours, especially if you dry and store them in the refrigerator. 

Prefer a shorter length?  Just cut the beans before cooking (either with a straight or angled cut.)  If you prefer a French-cut, cut the beans into 2-inch lengths and then cut each bean lengthwise.

Cheese makes everything more kid-friendly:

My 2nd easiest method for cooking green beans (which my kids LOVE) is to do exactly as above and then sprinkle the beans with parmesan cheese.

My husband and I prefer just garlic salt, so we'll garlic salt the whole colander (no, I don't bother moving them back to a pan or a serving dish – I just stick a plate under the colander to catch the olive oil drips) and then sprinkle the "shaky cheese" after putting the green beans on the kids' plates.

The fastest method for cooking green beans:

The fastest method for cooking fresh green beans is to steam them (because it's faster to bring an inch of water to a boil than a whole pot of water.)  Set a steamer basket in a saucepan with an inch of water in it, add the fresh green beans to the basket.  When the water comes to a boil, cover the pan, reduce the heat a little, and steam about 4 minutes.  I think I prefer the boiling method because I'd rather wait a few minutes than have 2 pans to clean.  Kind of silly, I know, but we all have to do what works for us.

Here is the boiling method recipe-style (of course, you can substitute steaming for boiling):

Best way to get your kids to eat fresh green beans :

The best way to get kids to eat ANYTHING is to start them young.  Start giving your toddlers crisp and crunchy green beans (prepared as I describe above except no need for the salt) and continue you frequently enough that they never think twice about eating fresh cooked green beans.

What if they're older?  Is it too late?  Of course not!!  It's really NEVER too late to change your kids' eating habits.  You just have to have patience.  Don't change everything overnight.  Change bad habits to good ones… one habit at a time over several weeks or months.

Best method for getting older kids to eat green beans?  OK, this is NOT a quick method, but it IS the best…  Get your kids to help you plant green beans.  They'll try ANYTHING that they've actually made (or grown) themselves.  Growing green beans is easy too.

Then, try our easy methods above (or my own kids favorite "Crumby Green Beans" recipe) and keep trying variations until it works!