Celebrate green (French) beans

They're fresh, tasty and crunchy – how many more pleasing adjectives does a vegetable need? (And how many alternative names? Read on!)

A bit about green beans

Known in the US as green beans, to the British as French beans, and to the French as haricot verts, the umbrella term is string beans, because of the fibrous string that is sometimes found running down the pod's seam (although it's been increasingly phased out for the cook's convenience). Another name is snap bean, because of the sound they make when broken in half.

French beans prefer sunnier climes, so British weather dictates that the hardy runner and broad beans species are more a part of the staple diet in the UK. However, there is a British season, which runs from July-September, so have your fill in the summer months. Green beans are available all year round, but in these food mile-savvy times seasonality is becoming more important. You can buy them frozen too, though we'd always recommend fresh where possible.

Nutritional content and health benefits
Green beans contain a decent amount of vitamins A and C, are very low in fat and salt, and are cholesterol-free.

Choosing and cooking green beans
Choose slender, crisp, blemish-free beans and store in the fridge in tupperware.

To cook, steam or simmer until tender, but so they still have bite. Serve as an accompaniment to roasts and steaks, add them to curries or casseroles, or let them go cold and mix into salads.

Bean facts