Learning how to cook fresh green beans isn't at all difficult, and the results are worth it. Fresh green beans are perfect in recipes that call for little or no cooking. Steaming green beans is preferable to boiling them, and grilled green beans are absolutely stupendous.
When using the green bean along with another vegetable, make sure both veggies are cut to about the same size so that each vegetable cooks equally. Sliced carrots and bite-size pieces of green beans will cook up nicely together, and their flavors complement each other.
Cooking Fresh Green Beans
Use green beans while they're still fresh, and understand that they have a short shelf life. You can pick the beans today for use tomorrow, but it is always best not to pick beans more than two or three days in advance of the intended meal. Even then, make sure the beans have been wrapped tightly in plastic to keep them crisp until ready to use.
The best way to cut green beans is to pick them fresh from the garden. Then sit down, and simply snap them into pieces. Snap off the stem ends and discard them, and then snap the bean into several bite-size pieces and drop it into a bowl. Wash the beans, and immediately cook them.
Consider steaming green beans. When they're done, just place them on a serving platter, and drizzle a little bit of butter over them. Stir-frying is another great way to cook beans so that the flavor is captured but not drained out with the water or smothered by the sauce.
Green beans are best served crisp-tender and should be served immediately upon reaching this consistency. Once the heat gets into the bean, it will continue cooking, so if you are still preparing the sauce or additional ingredients, plunge the cooked beans into a pot of cold water to stop them from being overdone. Overcooked beans will be limp and wilted.
Beans also cook best when not overcrowded. About four cups of beans in one pot is enough. If you must cook more than that, it's best to use two pots.
Herbed Green Beans
Ingredients You Will Need:
1 pound fresh green beans
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Remove the stems from the green beans, and snap the beans into bite-size pieces, or leave them intact. Steam the beans until they are crisp-tender. This should take about five or six minutes. Immediately rinse the beans in cold water to stop them from cooking, and set aside.
Heat the butter and basil over medium heat. When the butter is good and hot, but not browned, add the green beans and cook just until heated through. Serve immediately.
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