What are green beans
Some people wonder what exactly green beans are? These are unripe green shoots of common beans. Its pods are soft, so they can be easily eaten.
Why “asparagus”? The thing is that the shoots of this type of bean taste like asparagus. Look at the photo to see exactly how they look.
Composition and properties
If we talk about the beneficial properties of green beans, it is worth noting that they are a valuable source of vitamins A, C, group B, zinc, iron, magnesium, and potassium.
It has a diuretic effect and also helps to reduce weight, since its calorie content is only 24 kcal.
Green beans also contain easily digestible protein needed by the body.
The benefits of green beans
This vegetable will be especially useful for patients with diabetes due to its arginine content. It is this amino acid that significantly improves the body's ability to absorb glucose. And thanks to its high fiber content, green beans are considered indispensable in the fight against excess weight.
In addition to the obvious benefits and excellent taste, green beans also help in maintaining a vegetable garden. The presence of green beans in the garden bed repels shrews and moles. For thorough protection against these pests, plant bean bushes around the perimeter of your site and not far from other plants.
The roots of bean plants reach more than a meter in length and ozone the soil, which has a beneficial effect on the entire garden as a whole. That is why many gardeners plant green beans shortly before planting other plants.
In addition to all of the above, shoots of climbing species can be used as decoration for the wall of a house or gazebo.
Classification of varieties
The types of green beans are varied. Main groups:
- American Phaseolus L;
- Asian Vigna Savi.
Representatives of the first group have shoulder blades that do not exceed 30-40 cm, while Vigna varieties grow up to 80-130 cm. The leaves of varieties of American and Western selection must be cooked, meanwhile, the juicy, sugary Vigna blades are consumed fresh, even without heat treatment.
According to the type of plant, beans are:
- bush (height up to 50-60 cm);
- curly (up to 2-2.5 meters);
- weaving (up to five meters).
By collection time:
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- ready for harvesting in 40-60 days - early;
- mid-season – 65-80 days;
- late – from 85 days.
Plants are distinguished according to their purpose (suitable for preservation, freezing), the color of the leaves (beans) and seeds (grains), and the length of the pods.
Seeds of asparagus varieties of American, Italian, German, and Chinese selection are presented in stores. Kenyan and Japanese beans are interesting. Many varietal and hybrid forms have appeared from Russian breeders, adapted to the conditions of various regions of the country, characterized by good taste and productivity.
The best varieties of green beans
Bean pods come in a variety of shades, ranging from green and yellow to deep purple. The length of the pods varies from 12 to 120 cm. Also, many varieties are quite unpretentious and can be grown in the shade and in the northern part of the site.
There are 3 types of green beans:
- Bush, growing up to 30-50 cm.
- Semi-climbing, growing up to 2 meters.
- Curly - from 2 to 5 meters.
"Laura"
Green beans "Laura" are a bush type. One of the main advantages of this variety is its disease resistance and high yield. From the start of planting to harvest, only 50-60 days pass, which makes it possible to classify the “Laura” variety as an early ripening variety. The pods have a uniform yellowish color and reach 10-12 cm in length.
"Crane"
Asparagus beans “Zhuravushka” are a bush variety of the plant, also classified as early ripening varieties. The average time for harvest to ripen is 50 days. The height of the bushes varies around 40-50 cm. The pods are slightly curved, green, and reach 11-13 cm in length. The yield of the “Crane” variety is high.
"Snow Maiden"
Green beans “Snegurochka” are a bush type. It ripens quite early - approximately 45-50 days pass from the appearance of the first shoots to harvest. The height of the bush does not exceed 40 cm. The pods reach 16 cm in length. They are colored yellowish-green and do not have a parchment layer or fibers.
"Saksa"
Saksa beans are a bush type of plant with high productivity. This variety is early ripening, as it takes approximately 45-50 days to ripen. The height of the bushes reaches 35-40 cm, the pods are light green, 10-13 cm long.
Reference . The Saksa variety was bred by Soviet scientists specifically for cultivation in the vast expanses of the USSR. Therefore, this variety can be planted in cool climates. Remember that you need to pick the fruits of the Saksa variety green - in this case they will be soft and juicy.
"Vigna"
Cowpea beans are semi-climbing and can reach up to a meter in length. This variety came to us from Central Africa, but quickly fell in love with Russian summer residents. Cowpea is consumed in the form of young shoots, since they contain many vitamins (A, B, C) and beneficial microelements.
Important ! "Vigna" loves warmth, so it is better to start planting by growing seedlings, which are then planted in open ground. However, remember that if the average temperature in your region is below 20 degrees Celsius, there is a risk that the seedlings will not take root.
"Gerda"
Green beans "Gerda" reach a height of 3 meters. This variety of climbing bean is ideal for decorating the outside wall of a house or gazebo, as it requires vertical support to grow.
This variety is considered early ripening; it takes an average of 50 days to ripen. The plant does not require special care. It is best to plant it in a sunny place well protected from the wind. The length of ripe pods can reach 30 cm. They grow a pleasant soft yellow color.
"Fatima"
Fatima beans are a climbing variety. The length of the plant reaches 3 meters in height. The variety is considered high-yielding and mid-ripening, since it takes up to 60 days to ripen.
Ripe pods are straight, light green in color, reaching a length of 25 cm. A special feature of the Fatima variety is that it has a long fruiting period.
"Matilda"
Matilda beans are distinguished from other varieties by their dark purple color. This climbing species can grow up to 3 meters in height, but do not forget about vertical support. Fruit ripening lasts about 65 days, and the length of the pods reaches 20 cm.
Basic rules for caring for plants
Shoots of asparagus beans appear a week and a half after sowing. If you sowed “with reserve”, but the seedlings appeared frequently, they need to be thinned out. While they are still small, it is advisable to loosen the soil and weed out the weeds more often. After the bushes grow, loosening will be impossible, so it is better to mulch the bed. When the bushes reach a height of 10–12 cm, they can be lightly hilled.
Watering is needed infrequently and moderately: this crop is quite drought-resistant, but if there is insufficient moisture, the bushes grow poorly and bear little fruit. It is necessary to water not by sprinkling, but at the root, preferably in the evening with water heated in the sun. Beans will respond well to fertilizing, which can be done several times over the summer. Just before flowering begins, you can give phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, and repeat it at the beginning of the growth of the first blades. After another 2-3 weeks, a third feeding will be useful.
Nitrogen, oddly enough, is not necessary to give: after all, usually vegetables consumed in their green form are tried to be fertilized with nitrogen-containing substances. But beans, like peas, are nitrogen-accumulating plants that somehow extract it from the deep layers of the earth. And since phosphorus and potassium are contained in wood ash, commercial fertilizers can be successfully replaced with it by scattering the ash around the plants and then watering the bed.
Early ripening varieties are ready for harvest one and a half to two months after sowing, late ripening varieties can linger up to four months. But the fruiting of asparagus beans is long and continuous: if you cut off the blades in time, new flowers and a new harvest appear. The blades are ready for harvesting about a week after the flower closes. If everything is done on time, the harvest of early ripening beans can be harvested until autumn.
Video: harvesting green beans
Green beans are an excellent source of vitamins; they are used as food unripe, along with the pods. Growing it in amateur gardens is not difficult, and sowing is carried out in the same way as sowing vegetable peas, only much later. This is a heat-loving vegetable that can produce crops from mid-summer until autumn. Having planted green beans once, you will want to do so in subsequent years.
How to grow green beans in your own garden
A step-by-step action plan will allow you to grow beans correctly and reap a rich harvest.
General recommendations
Caring for and growing green beans does not require much time and effort, but it is worth considering some features.
Since almost all varieties love warmth, choose the sunny side for planting. If you decide to grow a climbing species, do not forget to think about the necessary support for future shoots.
Attention ! At temperatures below 10˚C, young shoots stop growing, and at temperatures below zero they will die altogether.
Planting time may vary depending on where you live and the weather, but usually the seeds are planted in the second half of May. In the northern regions, cultivation begins with the harvesting of seedlings. The most comfortable temperature for active growth is 20-25 degrees Celsius.
Soil preparation
It is better to start growing green beans in open ground in an area where cabbage, potatoes or cucumbers previously grew. Loose soil rich in organic matter is suitable. Also, 1-2 months before planting, take care of suitable fertilizer. Wood ash or potassium chloride are best suited for this.
Seed preparation
There are two ways to plant green beans on a plot. Most often, green beans are sown in the ground as dry seeds. But before planting, the seeds can be soaked overnight in a growth stimulator. Ash, manure or honey, which are diluted with water, are suitable for this purpose. This mixture is watered over the seeds covered with gauze.
How to plant seeds
Sprinkle the planting site with ashes, mix with soil and water. Once the water has been absorbed, the plants can be planted. Asparagus bean seeds are placed in the ground to a depth of no more than 3-5 cm. For better growth, the distance between the seeds is 8-10 cm, and between the rows - 40-60 cm.
Top dressing
The first shoots begin to appear 5-7 days after planting. After approximately 4 weeks, you can fertilize the soil again. Wood ash is ideal for this.
Harvesting
Since the pods are used for food in their unripe form, it is important not to miss the moment of harvesting. The best time for this is one to two weeks after the ovaries appear. The pods are collected daily in batches of approximately the same age. This way you will give the opportunity for a new harvest to appear.
Tips and cautions
Various varieties of green beans allow you to significantly diversify your dietary table. But like almost any plant, there are limitations to consuming the pods. It is important not to harm your health.
It is not advisable for the average portion of one-time consumption to exceed 200 grams.
- Consume fruits rich in pectin and beans with a break of at least 4-6 hours.
- Remember - eliminating all other sources of protein except beans will cause serious harm. Real benefits are only possible through a combination of products.
- Possible individual intolerance to the product, flatulence.
- The harm of asparagus beans has been proven during exacerbation of gastritis, stomach ulcers and cholecystitis.
- Older people should not get carried away with beans.
- For those who are prone to constipation, it is better to “shade” the harm of beans from flatulence with fennel or dill.
How to eat green beans
Reviews about the taste of green beans are always positive, so it’s rare that a housewife will refuse to have them on her table. Green beans are suitable for fresh consumption, canning and freezing.
To keep beans fresh for the winter, wash and cut them into pieces 2-3 cm long. Throw them into boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then drain the water and pack the beans in a plastic container. In this form it is ready for freezing.
Harvest and storage
The first fruits of asparagus beans can be tasted 14 days after the first ovaries appear on the bushes. The size of one pod at this time is 15–22 cm, but the longer it remains on the bush, the larger it becomes. Only young fruits have an ideal taste, so harvesting should be done as often as possible, which will eliminate the possibility of the pods hardening.
Find out whether beans are a protein or a carbohydrate.
A cool, dark place like a cellar or basement is suitable for storing beans, where they are placed laid out on a clean tray in one layer. In its green form, it will be stored for no longer than two weeks, after which it will begin to become rough and yellow. To increase shelf life, fruits are frozen.
Recipes
Do you want to diversify your diet with interesting green bean dishes, but don’t know how? We will tell you how to do it in the most delicious and healthy way.
Korean salad
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- Green beans - 200 g.
- Onions - 70 g.
- Carrots - 100 g.
- Rice vinegar - 20 ml.
- Salt - 2 g.
- Sugar - 2 g.
- Garlic powder - 2 g.
- Ground coriander - 2 g.
- Ground red pepper - 2 g.
- Ground black pepper - 2 g.
Preparation:
- Wash the beans, cut off the tails on both sides, then boil them in salted water for 7 minutes. After this, drain the beans in a colander, wait until all the water has drained, transfer them to a separate bowl and let cool.
- Wash the carrots, peel and chop into strips. Place it in the bowl with the beans. Peel the onion, cut into thin half rings and add it to the same bowl.
- Then add sugar, salt, rice vinegar and spices: garlic powder, ground coriander, black and red pepper. Add seasoning to taste - it’s better to add some and taste, and add more if necessary.
- Mix everything and put it in the refrigerator to marinate for a day.
Garnish “Spring”
An incredibly tasty, simple and budget-friendly side dish with a spicy sauce.
Ingredients:
- Green beans - 0.5 kg.
- Garlic - 2 cloves.
- Fresh ginger, grated - 1 teaspoon.
- Fresh chili pepper - 1/4 pcs.
- Olive oil - 2 tbsp. spoons.
- Soy sauce - 1 tbsp. spoon.
- Wine or apple vinegar (or lemon juice) - 1 tbsp. spoon.
- Greens - to taste.
Preparation
Wash the green beans well, sort them, trim the ends. Place it in a pan of boiling, slightly salted water. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Then place them in a colander until the water has completely drained.
Mix oil, soy sauce, vinegar, finely chopped chili pepper, pressed garlic and grated ginger.
Place the vegetables in a convenient bowl, pour in the sauce, and mix well. Place in a heat-resistant bowl and place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes. Before serving, you can sprinkle the finished dish with herbs to taste.
