Fresh beans should be stored unwashed in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator either in a plastic bag or other reusable container. They will keep about a week. For longer storage, you can freeze fresh beans. To do this, rinse the beans in cool water and thoroughly drain. Cut the ends off before cutting them into the length you desire before placing them in a freezer safe container.
Description: Fresh beans, also known as green beans, wax beans, snap beans or string beans, are actually the unripe fruit and pods of a variety of different cultivars of the common bean. Aside from color, there are two main types of fresh beans: bush (or dwarf) and pole bean. Bush beans plants generally do not grow more than two feet tall and do not require support, like the pole beans do. Pole beans grow on twisting vines that like to climb, thus require a trellis. Since bush beans are easier to harvest, they are the predominate fresh bean type to be farmed commercially. We grow three types of fresh beans: the traditional “green bean,” yellow or wax bean, and the Purple Amethyst bean.
Green Beans: The varieties of green beans we grow vary in length between 5 and 6 inches. The one exception is Comper, our baby French variety, which in only about 4.5 inches long. These green beans vary on the green spectrum, from light to dark, depending on variety.
Yellow Beans: The variety of yellow bean we grow is called Roc d’Or. It is a deep yellow color, as to be expected from a name like “Gold Rock!” These beans are more slender than our green beans, but also a little longer, normally about 6.5 inches long.
Amethyst Beans: Johnny’s seed catalog calls the Amethyst bean the “fanciest purple bean.” It is also slightly thinner than our green bean varieties, and averages 5 to 5.5 inches long.
All three types of our fresh beans can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, stir-fried, or baked. To preserve the unique color of the Purple Amethyst bean, it is best used in raw preparations like salads.
Additional Fun Facts: Beans are native to the Americas, but once they made the trip across the sea to Europe, they became popular in the cuisine of many counties, particularly Italy and France
