How do you cook your green BEANS?

[amaguri]

I despised green beans growing up, because I only knew the canned variety and my mom used to cook them til they were mushy and gross. My brother made fresh green beans by sauteeing in olive oil until slightly blistered, with just salt and pepper, and I actually ENJOYED them. It blew my mind that I could enjoy green beans

[simster]

2 or 3 times a year (big family holidays) -

Giant can of green beans (5#)
1 bulb of garlic - minced (not a clove - the whole thing)
2-3 medium onions - quartered
3-5 red potatoes - quartered
pack of country ham pieces
2 - beef stock cartons (can’t remember the name, kitchen basics I thnk - red box)

drain the green beens -
mince the garlic, add it and ham pieces to bottom of stock pan - doing a quick saute of the garlic using the fat off the ham-
add onions/potatoes - salt/pepper to taste (very little salt, LOTS of pepper for me/mine)
add Green Beans
add Stock
Bring to boil
reduce to simmer - cover with a little opening - simmer for as long as you can stand it - usually 6 hours or so.

These are even better the second day if any survive.

[Missy2U]

@Missy2U

I fry up some cut up bacon with some chopped onions. While that’s cooking I boil the green beans until they’re done. When the bacon is crispy and the onion is transluscent, I add some vinegar and some sugar and stir until combined, then add the drained green beans to it.

Basically a wilted lettuce salad without the lettuce and with green beans.

I should have added that this WILL NOT WORK with canned green beans. It will work with frozen, but I always do it with fresh.

[zoid]

@simster

2 or 3 times a year (big family holidays) -

Giant can of green beans (5#)
1 bulb of garlic - minced (not a clove - the whole thing)
2-3 medium onions - quartered
3-5 red potatoes - quartered
pack of country ham pieces
2 - beef stock cartons (can’t remember the name, kitchen basics I thnk - red box)

drain the green beens -
mince the garlic, add it and ham pieces to bottom of stock pan - doing a quick saute of the garlic using the fat off the ham-
add onions/potatoes - salt/pepper to taste (very little salt, LOTS of pepper for me/mine)
add Green Beans
add Stock
Bring to boil
reduce to simmer - cover with a little opening - simmer for as long as you can stand it - usually 6 hours or so.

These are even better the second day if any survive.

I’m dying to try these now.
Don’t suppose you have a pic of the finished dish?

[Amblydoper]

@scabpicker

If they’re canned or frozen, I’ll put them in vegetable beef soup. Mmmmmmm.

The best way to cook canned green beans is to put them directly into the trash can. They taste better if you don’t eat them.

[kayaker]

@Amblydoper

The best way to cook canned green beans is to put them directly into the trash can. They taste better if you don’t eat them.

Agree. Straight out of the can they are overcooked.

[dracoi]

@BigT

Honestly, the only way I ever really eat them is reheated from a can or frozen I haven’t eaten them fresh since my grandmother stopped having a garden. I don’t think I’ve seen fresh for sale.

With canned, for sure, there’s really not much choice. We throw in occasional bits of ham and some olive oil, but we definitely just simmer them. My mom always said it tasted better on the stove, but I’ve never really detected a difference using the microwave. If you boil 'em, you’ve gone way too far.

Where do you live? In both CA and WA, fresh green beans are practically a year-round item that you’ll find as a staple in the grocery store.

[pulykamell]

@dracoi

Where do you live? In both CA and WA, fresh green beans are practically a year-round item that you’ll find as a staple in the grocery store.

Same here in Chicago. They’re a year- round staple.

[Labrador_Deceiver]

Ditto Atlanta.

[salinqmind]

Roasted! toss with oil, salt & pepper. Put in a hot oven and stir now and then with a wooden spoon, till very tender with brown patches. Soft and nutty and delicious, a whole other vegetable altogether, with maybe a little vinegar sprinkled on.

[Miss_Violaceous]

This recipe, right here: http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/greek-style-green-beans

Best with fresh beans and dill and tomatoes, still good with frozen, dried, canned (respectively).

[BigT]

@dracoi

Where do you live? In both CA and WA, fresh green beans are practically a year-round item that you’ll find as a staple in the grocery store.

A small town in Northwest Arkansas. Grocery store produce is somewhat limited. I’m sure if I went to a larger town I might have more variety. I’m also sure I could get one from the local farmer’s market, but it only meets really early in the morning once a month or so, and I never get around to it.

[Jamicat]

Sauce pan with Butter, Salt, Pepper, Onions and of course Bacon.

<apparently i’m not the only one after reading the rest of the posts>

[Dangerosa]

Since no one has mentioned it. Pickled with whole garlic cloves and thai peppers.

[kayaker]

@Dangerosa

Since no one has mentioned it. Pickled with whole garlic cloves and thai peppers.

In a Bloody Mary, please.

[chela]

@AndrewL

I don’t. They’re best raw IMHO.

Fresh picked from the garden i agree, they’re nearly sensual with their soft dewy fuzzy skins hiding a green bouquet of juicy snappiness…can’t wait!

i like all manner of cooking, deepfried with wasabi, southern style boil with a dash of malt vinegar, szechuan stir fried, steamed with blue cheese the possibilities are endless:D

[swampspruce]

Put me in the steamed camp with butter/or olive oil, sprinkled with sliced almonds and a dash of alder smoked sea salt (which I only recently discovered and now put on almost everything…esp. popcorn).
I did try them sauteed in olive oil and finished as above less the almonds and have to say that I really enjoyed them that way as well. I learned something new, yay!

[pavano]

@simster

2 or 3 times a year (big family holidays) -

Giant can of green beans (5#)
1 bulb of garlic - minced (not a clove - the whole thing)
2-3 medium onions - quartered
3-5 red potatoes - quartered
pack of country ham pieces
2 - beef stock cartons (can’t remember the name, kitchen basics I thnk - red box)

drain the green beens -
mince the garlic, add it and ham pieces to bottom of stock pan - doing a quick saute of the garlic using the fat off the ham-
add onions/potatoes - salt/pepper to taste (very little salt, LOTS of pepper for me/mine)
add Green Beans
add Stock
Bring to boil
reduce to simmer - cover with a little opening - simmer for as long as you can stand it - usually 6 hours or so.

These are even better the second day if any survive.

i do a similar recipe to this one but i use fresh green beans–which are cooked alone in broth for about 2 hours. instead of ham, we use 2 pounds of polska kielbasa cut into small discs. with a large stock pot full of these things, they have never lasted a day in the fridge, i catch the kids sneaking them in the middle of the night.

oh, and i use chicken broth instead of beef because it is lighter and the kielbasa adds a bunch of flavor.

[simster]

@pavano

i do a similar recipe to this one but i use fresh green beans–which are cooked alone in broth for about 2 hours. instead of ham, we use 2 pounds of polska kielbasa cut into small discs. with a large stock pot full of these things, they have never lasted a day in the fridge, i catch the kids sneaking them in the middle of the night.

oh, and i use chicken broth instead of beef because it is lighter and the kielbasa adds a bunch of flavor.

ok - I’m adding that version to the list.

[DonLogan]

I only cook fresh green beans in the summer, to serve with grilled stuff.

Boil 'em until almost tender, then saute with oil, butter and garlic. Then hit 'em with some hot sauce near the end.