I don't know that there is a 'proper' way. There are many different ways and it all depends on personal tastes and the variety.

Fresh harvested string beans of all types will require longer cooking times than canned beans however as canned beans have already been cooked once during the canning process.

There are also regional differences in how to cook them. Some folks prefer them al dente - still crisp to the bite. Others such as we southeners much prefer them well cooked almost to the point of mushy. A common southern method for cooking them is boiled until quite soft and wrinkled with diced onions and some bacon grease or several chunks of ham or bacon mixed in. We often dip whole green beans in batter and deep fry them as well and stir fried in a bit of oil with diced onions and garlic is also good. I've never found a good way of cooking them in a microwave.

Do you really plan to just pickle all those beans? No canning or freezing for later use in winter? I like 3 bean salad as much as the next guy but that a waste of a lot of good beans unless you plan to eat it every meal. :)

Dave

I agree with Dave, no "right" way to cook them, just preferences. I like mine same as Dave, well cooked with a little bacon and onion. I also like a few tossed into a stir-fry or roasted in the oven. Depends on my mood and the rest of the meal. I also can them and just pop one open and nuke them for a quick side dish.

Are you interested in preserving some plain for winter use? They can be canned, frozen or dried, as well as pickled. Again, personal preference. If you are, let us know and there's lots of help here.

Deanna

Thanks for the input. To tell you the truth, even though I grew up in Florida and Missouri, I just do not like the well cooked, shrivled up green beans. That is the way relatives cook them and is why I never bothered to cook up fresh beans. There has to be a better way for me. The battered beans do sound yummy, but not real healthy.....

You are right about the pickled beans not being a way to handle all these beans. That is the reason for posting this. I will freeze some, just blanch and cook first. But won't I be in the same boat when they are thawed? I still need a way to make them appetizing.

On the plus side, I am really enjoying actually growing these different kinds of beans. A friend gave me a volunteer bean from her yard, and it turned out to be a yard long bean. So I can add that to my tests. They are fun to grow and seem to be exceedingly prolific. If all else fails, I can give all these extras away..... But soo many folks grow beans, I must be missing SOMETHING.

We like ours cooked in the crock pot with ham, onions and new potatoes. Yum!

Val

I grew up in the South but I'm definitely a fan of al dente beans, in addition to the slow-cooked beans with bacon or ham. Especially on those hot and humid nights where I want something quick and easy, I'll drizzle about a tablespoon of safflower oil (or some other high-heat oil) in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add a handful or two of green or wax beans, making sure the beans are generally just in a single layer (some overlap is fine but you don't want the pan to be too crowded). Saute over medium-high heat until the beans are just the tiniest bit blackened near the ends, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and toss with a bit of butter if you want. The beans are just on the cooked side of crunchy, I'd say, still tasting fresh from the garden but with added flavor... Definitely not for everyone, but might be something you'd be interested in trying.

1) Boiled until just tender, tossed with a little Butter, Salt and Pepper. This is my favorite way.

2) My dad used to fry them in Bacon Grease until they were smokey and caramelized, almost burned, and very tasty.

3) Try making Dilly Beans, pickle them just like you would do with Cukes. Excellent in a Bloody Mary!

Steve

Val can you post how you do your beans, ham & potatoes in the crockpot? Thanks Lin

There is always the famous (or infamous depending on your POV) Holiday Green Bean Casserole. :)

Check out the link below for all sorts of fresh eating recipes with string beans.

What are you thinking of doing with your black beans when they come in? Several good discussions here about them - Black Bean Salsa, Black Bean Chili, etc.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Quick-Fix Green Bean Recipes

I just use big chunks of ham (trimmed of fat). That goes in first cause I want the flavor of ham coming up through the veggies. Then plop in some new potatoes if I have them or whole potatoes quartered and unpeeled if they're good ones (peeled is fine too). Then rough chopped onions and green beans go on last. Instead of water I use a can of chicken stock. It adds a really nice layer of flavor.

Set the crock pot to low and cook 8 to 10 hours. About an hour or so before serving I lift the lid and take a small plate full to check for seasoning. Then I add salt, pepper and a bit of garlic powder to taste. I don't try and salt early because sometimes the ham is saltier than other times.

If the ham is on bone then I also de-bone it at this time. Even though the crock pot is full, you don't need more than one can of stock (you can also just use water if you want). The crock pot will make more juice.

That's it. Easy and good :-)

Val

Thanks Val, I wondered what you used for the liquid, sounds very good, I will have to give it a try.

Lots of good ideas. Thanks for the link, Dave. A couple of those recipes are now on my list to try. I don't know what to do with the black beans yet. I just know that they are my favorite shelled bean and wanted to give them a try. I also want to try them as a snap bean to see what the flavor would be like.

Speaking of recipes - I made a new one today for a covered dish dinner and it was a real hit. It was mock apple crisp made with zucchini. Yummy!

We love grilled beans. We do them two different ways.

1) Leave them full length, except the yard ling ones of course. Put them in either a bowl or a ziplock bag with a bit of salt and just enough olive oil to coat them well. Then lay them on the grill in either a grill pan or we have a cast iron grill griddle that we use. Roll them around every 2-3 minutes a bit so they don't blacken too much on one side, after 10-12 minutes or so they will be done, depending how hot your grill is. You'll have to experiment a bit.
2) Here is the way we've been cooking a lot of stuff on the grill lately. Get you one of those lightweight aluminum disposable serving pans. At SAMs, where we get them, they're called steam table pans. We use the half size ones. Cut up some potatoes into bite size pieces, or use new potatoes. Layer them on the bottom of the pan, for an inch or so. Wet them real well with some olive oil, and If you want them to really be good and you're not watching you're waistline, throw in about a half stick of butter, Then slice up some squash or zucchini to bite size pieces, again coating generously with, olive oil. Layer them on top of the potatoes. Finally, take your full length green beans, coated with olive oil, and layer them over the squash. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and throw it on the grill, over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. You can pull back the foil and check for doneness, and can tell when done by sticking a fork in the veggies as they'll be somewhat soft. Use some mitts to remove the pan off the heat, and serve with tongs. You talk about good!!!!!!! :)