How to Prepare Green Beans

Fresh green beans need to be cleaned and trimmed before you use them. You can also cut the beans down into French-style strips or convenient chunks, but doing so is not always necessary.

EditSteps

EditChoosing and Cleaning

1. Choose fresh green beans. Fresh green beans should have long pods that are firm, plump, and crisp. Look for even green coloring.^[1]
   
   • Avoid green beans with splotchy coloring or soft spots.
   • The shape of the green bean does not indicate freshness, but straight green beans are generally easiest to prepare.
2. Rinse under running water. Place the green beans in a large colander. Rinse them under cool, running water for approximately 60 seconds, agitating the colander slightly to expose each bean to the water.
   
   • You can also rinse the beans without a colander. Grab a handful and run them beneath cool, running water, shifting the green beans slightly in your hand as you work. Use your fingers to gently scrub away any noticeable dirt or debris.
3. Drain the water. Place the colander over several layers of paper towel. Allow the water to drain for a few minutes, or until the beans are mostly dry.
   
   • In most cases, the beans do not need to be completely dry before you prepare them. You can gently wipe them down with clean paper towels if you do wish to dry them more thoroughly, however.

EditTrimming the Ends

EditIndividual Green Beans

1. Pinch the green bean near its stem. Using your thumb and pointer finger, hold the green bean approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) away from its stem end.
   
2. Snap off the stem. Pinch the stem end of the green bean in between the thumb and pointer finger of your opposite hand. Quickly yank the stem down toward the body of the bean, snapping it off.^[2]
   
   • Most green beans are stringless, so this action should snap the stem tip cleanly away. If you do work with string green beans, however, you will need to continue pulling the freed tip down along the body of the bean to peel away the connected string.
3. Pinch off the curled tip, if desired. If you want to remove the curled tip opposite the stem end, hold that end of the bean with one hand and, using the fingernails of your opposite thumb and pointer finger to, pinch off the thin tip.
   
   • This step is not strictly necessary, and since it can add extra time to an already lengthy process, you may wish to skip it.
   • If your fingernails aren't sharp enough, you may need to hold the green bean on a cutting board and use a paring knife to slice away the curl.
   • You can technically leave the curled tip intact. Since
4. Repeat as needed. Work through the remaining green beans in the same manner. Collect the trimmed beans in a basket or other container while you work.
   
   • Note that this can be a very time-consuming process since you have to trim each bean one-by-one. For that reason, it's best to use this method only if you have a small batch of green beans or if you have plenty of time to work with.

EditBatches of Green Beans

1. Line up a handful of green beans. Grab a handful of green beans and line them up over a cutting board. Hold the beans steady with your non-dominant hand.
   
   • Make sure that the stem ends all face the same direction.
   • Use the palm of your hand or the flat face of a chef's knife to evenly align the stem ends of the beans with one another.^[3]
2. Cut away the stems. Use a chef's knife to slice away the top 1 inch (2.5 cm) or so of the green beans. Start from one edge of the bean pile and work your way clear to the opposite edge, trimming off all the stem ends in one motion.^[4]
   
   • Opt for a knife with a smooth, sharp blade instead of using a serrated knife.
   • Green beans shouldn't be too difficult to slice through, so you shouldn't need to apply much pressure. You should, however, use even pressure while you make the cut.
3. Trim the opposite end, if desired. While you do not need to trim away the curled tip end of the green beans, you can do so using the same method followed for the stem ends.
   
   • It might be easiest to flip the handful of beans around before proceeding. Align the curled tip ends with one another using your hand or the edge of the knife.
   • Slice away about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the green beans at the curled tip end.
4. Repeat as needed. While this method is quicker than the individual trimming method, you may still need to divide the green beans into several bunches.
   
   • Start by working with a handful at a time. As you grow more comfortable with this method, you can grab larger amounts.

EditOptional Cutting

1. French cut the green beans. "French cut" green beans are green beans that have been trimmed and sliced into lengthwise halves.
   
   • Trim both ends using the batch method, but slice the ends off diagonally instead of slicing straight across.
   • Working with each individual green bean, hold the bean and use a sharp, smooth chef's knife to cut the pod straight down the middle. Repeat as needed with the remaining beans.
2. Cut the green beans into pieces. If you don't wish to French cut the beans, you can cut the whole beans into strips of your desired length.
   
   • Required lengths are usually specified in individual recipes, but 1 to 2 inch (2.5 to 5 cm) pieces are fairly versatile and can be used for many culinary purposes.
   • You can cut the beans in batches instead of doing so individually. Simply trim the green beans using the batch method, then cut them down to your desired length before removing your hand from the pile.^[5]
   • Only cut the green beans crosswise; do not cut them lengthwise for this style.
3. Leave the green beans whole. If you plan to roast the green beans or cook them as a standalone dish, you may wish to leave them whole instead of cutting them. You'll still need to trim the ends off before proceeding, however.
   
   • Check the recipe, when applicable, to determine if you should or can leave the green beans whole.
4. Finished.
   

EditTips

• Frozen and canned green beans have already been washed, trimmed, and cut down to size. Thaw frozen beans or drain the canned version. You do not need to perform any additional preparation afterward; simply add the green beans to the dish as indicated in the recipe's instructions.

EditThings You'll Need

• Colander
• Paper towels
• Chef's knife

EditSources and Citations

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