Green beans are rightfully considered one of the most valuable and useful legumes. Its homeland is Central America, but today the crop is grown all over the world, including in our country.
Everyone knows green beans, but few know what green beans are. Can green beans and green beans be considered one product? And if not, what's the difference? In this article we will take a detailed look at the similarities and differences, and talk about the peculiarities of growing and using these two crops in cooking.
What are green beans
Green beans are a bush or climbing plant of the legume family. When we hear this name, the same legume that we use for food, usually as a side dish or main dish, immediately comes to mind. Everyone knows that it is incredibly rich in vitamins and microelements, but they have no idea how positively it affects our body.
The pod variety is a pod with two leaves, which contains the beans themselves, which are round or oval in shape, depending on the variety.
Initially, beans were used in cooking , but over time, bean varieties became more hybridized, and more and more new species appeared that no longer had such hard leaves. Accordingly, such a legume became suitable for consumption along with the leaves. This is how green beans began to differ from ordinary beans: when they are eaten, the pods themselves do not open, but are eaten together with the beans.
Important ! It is advisable to eat only young pods. Older ones become tough and tasteless when cooked.
In total, there are more than 60 different varieties of this plant: for every taste and color. Beans are grown to harvest beans or blades (usually the same bean flaps are called). The varieties of beans that we eat are grown just for the blades.
How do the varieties of green beans differ? There are a lot of signs and differences, but here are the main two groups of this legume:
- Bush plant. It differs in that the bush with sprouts is very compact - it grows up to 60 cm.
- Climbing plant. It is characterized by a branching bush that requires staking. The height of the plant reaches 5-6 m.
There is a classification that characterizes not the bush, but the fruits themselves. So:
- Sugar beans . The species does not have a parchment layer. When ripe, the appearance is unusual: it has fleshy, but at the same time soft pods and tasty beans. This type is also called fiberless, since it does not have longitudinal fiber along the seam. This is a big plus - it’s easier and faster to prepare.
- Semi-sugar . It has a parchment layer, but it is soft, which also allows the pods to be used for food.
- Peeling . It has a rough parchment layer on the pods and along the seams. It is grown for beans or the early pods are picked for consumption.
The types and varieties of beans do not end with the classifications presented. This crop is varied in color, shape, taste characteristics and size. You can see some of its types in the photo.
Where are you from?
Beans are native to Central and South America, where they were grown more than 7,000 years ago. Brought to Europe by Spanish sailors.
What are called green beans today are actually unripe bean pods. Harvested and eaten before the beans are ripe.
Previously, the green pods contained hard fibrous strands along their length that had to be removed before cooking. The first varieties that do not contain coarse fibers were bred in 1894 in the USA by Calvin Keeney.
Today, more than 100 varieties of green beans are known, which are divided into two groups: bush and climbing.
How the crop is grown in China, India, Indonesia, Turkey and other countries. More than 70 percent of exports go to China.
What are green beans
Green beans are one of the varieties of green beans that have a more elongated shape, softer leaves and taste like asparagus.
This species is grown for collecting green pods. As a rule, green beans are a sugar type of green bean: this is the whole difference between the varieties of beans.
Green beans are the most popular type of green beans, because they are the ones we most often use for food. Its pods are tender and tasty, and they are quick and easy to prepare.
Green beans are notable for the absence of a hard parchment layer on the flaps and seam. And the type of plant (bush or climbing) does not play a special role.
Advice ! How can you tell if you are looking at green beans? Break it apart. When cracked, you'll see soft contents that look more like jelly or mixture than individual beans.
So, asparagus beans, as a subspecies of green beans, are endowed with juicy pulp and soft fiber of the leaves, which do not have hard seams and partitions in their structure. This property makes the pod soft and fragile, but when cooked, these qualities become a great advantage.
Contraindications for use
The list of contraindications to eating beans is small. People who suffer from high acidity, colitis or have ulcerative lesions should refrain from eating beans.
Like most legumes, beans cause flatulence. But you can fight this. It is recommended to soak the beans for several hours before cooking in water and soda. By the way, white beans are a little softer in this regard than red beans.
That, in fact, is all the restrictions for this product.
Recipes for healthy eating
Recipe for stewed green beans with tomatoes
- 1.3 g Protein
- 3.1 g Fat
- 3.7 g Carbohydrates
- 46.7 kcal
45-60 min.
- #vegetarian dish
- #second course
- #for vegans
- #breakfast
- #low calorie
- #dinner
- #roasting
- #vegetables
- #tomato
- #green beans
- #only fruits and vegetables
- #dinner
Other recipes
Differences and similarities between green beans and asparagus beans
Asparagus and green beans are really practically the same thing. Green beans as a subspecies are always green beans. However, not all green beans are green beans. Asparagus has softer leaves. Thus, the main difference is the characteristics of the fruit valves. We can say that green beans are an unripe version of green beans.
Green beans, as a rule, are always green in color, since their pods are obviously immature. This way they retain softness, taste and all the useful elements, which will be less in overripe fruits.
Important ! Green beans and asparagus are not the same thing! These are completely different products both in origin and characteristics.
Most often, asparagus beans have a round cross-section when broken, while half-asparagus (half-sugar) varieties have a more oval cross-section (the pods have a flatter shape).
Hulled varieties are not at all similar to asparagus varieties - they have hard, flat leaves and a pronounced coarse longitudinal section of the fiber along the seam.
Another characteristic feature of the asparagus variety is weak beans. It is almost impossible to distinguish them, since the pods are collected immature and not fully formed. This cannot be said about other types - in them the beans can be clearly distinguished and used for food separately from the pods.
Features of cultivation
The rules for growing green beans and asparagus beans are essentially the same. The only difference is that the asparagus species (in other words, vegetable) is grown for the purpose of collecting young pods - blades. Other species are grown for the sake of the beans themselves. However, the rules for planting and caring for plants are generally the same.
The legume grows like a vine: it wraps around a support, which must be placed next to the planted bush. This can be either a stick/peg driven into the ground, or a mesh fence - in this case, the bush will grow like a vine, creating a beautiful green wall.
It is better to plant legumes in loose, moist soil, since they grow poorly in clay and rocky soil.
Almost all species bear fruit very abundantly: one bush is harvested 5-6 times per season. Fruiting lasts from July to the end of September.
If you want to use vegetable (asparagus) bean pods for food, collect them unripe before they lose their juice. They are usually harvested 9-11 days after the bean buds appear. It is necessary to ensure that the valves do not begin to “swell”, otherwise this will mean that the fruits are completely ripe and the valves can no longer be eaten.
In asparagus varieties, the beans should be small - about 2 mm. The length of the pod does not matter (it is different for each variety: from 10 to 60 cm), the main thing is its quality.
If you want to harvest the crop for the sake of beans, then you need to wait for ripening - about 3 weeks after the ovary. After this, you will not be able to eat the leaves (even with long cooking, these pods will remain hard and rough), but you will get an excellent harvest of the beans themselves inside the leaves.
Remember that beans are a heat-loving plant . It is necessary to plant it on the sunny side of the garden. In addition, by their nature, the bushes have beautiful inflorescences (white, lilac, pink). They will not only bring a good harvest, but will also decorate any area.
Important ! Beans are an annual plant, so they need to be planted every year.
So, the most important rules when growing green beans:
- Avoid clay and rocky soils for planting. Legumes love loose soil.
- Choose sunnier places for planting - the culture is very thermophilic. It is also worth choosing the most windless place: strong gusts of wind can break the long branches of the plant.
- Stake the bushes or install a hedge to support them.
- Monitor the ripening of the pods: if you want to eat them, collect them when they are not ripe.
- Periodically loosen, fertilize (both organic and mineral fertilizers) and weed the bed.
- Follow the watering schedule: once a week (in arid regions - 2 times a week).
Green and green beans: benefits and applications
Because green beans are a softer, less mature green bean, they contain all the same nutrients as regular beans. Accordingly, the use of asparagus and capsicum varieties in cooking is very similar. So, what are the benefits of this legume? How to cook it? You will find the answers below.
Benefits and harms
Green beans are a popular product in many countries around the world. And it's not just about its pleasant taste. This culture contains a huge amount of useful microelements. It contains vitamins A, C, B1, B2, E, as well as macro- and microelements:
- Calcium, which is extremely important for maintaining the health of the human skeleton and joints, promotes healthy hair and nail growth.
- Potassium, important in the fight against sclerosis and supporting heart function.
- Phosphorus and zinc, which normalize fat metabolism in the body and maintain healthy hormonal levels.
- Lecithin, which strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
- Iron, which normalizes brain function and is involved in hematopoiesis.
- Folic acid, which is contained precisely in the shoulder blades of green beans, is especially useful for pregnant women, as it promotes the healthy development of the fetus and also helps overcome depression.
Many people believe that beans are a high-calorie product, but this is a myth. It contains a minimum of calories - 25 kcal per 100 g. The fiber filling it makes the pods a simply irreplaceable product, and the protein contained in the legume normalizes digestion. In terms of protein content, beans compete with meat products.
However, it is necessary to say about the existing disadvantages of consuming this legume:
- People with certain diseases (gastritis, stomach ulcers, colitis, gout, etc.) are not recommended to eat legumes, including green beans.
- When legumes enter the human intestines, they can lead to flatulence. However, this problem is easy to avoid: drain the first water when cooking the shoulder blades, and also eat the beans with spices that reduce gas formation.
Use in cooking
Green and asparagus beans are used in cooking by many peoples of the world. They are stewed, boiled, fried and even pickled.
Here are the basic rules to remember when cooking beans:
- When preparing green beans, remember that before adding them to any dish, they must first be cooked in salted boiling water. If these are green beans that are not of the asparagus type (with coarse leaves), the fibers are pre-cleaned, since even cooking will not make them softer.
- After cooking, it can already be served as a full-fledged side dish for meat or fish, or as a separate dish (the simplest thing is to grease the boiled pods with butter and sprinkle with herbs). Or you can continue cooking: stew or fry with eggs or vegetables.
- By adding fried croutons to the pods, the dish will acquire a new delicious taste . If you decide to cook the pods with other vegetables, the best product combinations are broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes and onions.
- The finished dish can be seasoned with sauce. Suitable sauces include olive oil, citric acid, sour cream or mayonnaise with finely chopped herbs and (if desired) garlic.
- Ready pods are used as a base for various salads .
- Beans are in perfect harmony with mushrooms , which allows you to realize many culinary fantasies.
- The spatulas are great for canning or freezing. At the same time, frozen pods retain their beneficial properties one hundred percent.
Important ! During shock freezing, all useful substances are preserved. Heat treatment neutralizes poisons and harmful substances contained in the vegetable.
Is it possible to eat
Green beans have their own consumption characteristics for different conditions.
Did you know? The bean was introduced in the 16th century by Columbus and was originally grown by Europeans as an ornamental plant. In Russia, beans were initially planted exclusively in flower beds.
During pregnancy
Green beans are useful for women expecting a child. It contains folic acid, which is very important for fetal development during this period, and other necessary substances. At the same time, it will prevent the expectant mother from gaining extra pounds and will help with low hemoglobin. However, pregnant women should not abuse it and eat only green pods. Nutrition should be complete and varied.
It should also be noted that this product may cause increased gas formation. To avoid this condition, it is best to sprinkle a dish of green beans with green dill.
When breastfeeding
Green beans have a good effect on the quantity and composition of milk. But since the product is a source of increased gas formation, it is better to abstain from it for the first 3 months after birth, when the baby’s digestive system is just getting better. This product may cause colic in your baby. The vegetable is hypoallergenic, but at first it is better for a nursing mother to eat a small amount of pods and monitor the baby’s reaction. If allergic reactions and increased gas formation are not observed, then you can include this product in your diet.
Did you know? The Italians were the first to consume green beans in the 17th century. They tasted the unripe pods and found them fit for food. Over time, a variety with a more delicate pod structure was developed, which was called “French”.
When losing weight
To “eliminate” extra pounds, it is recommended to steam or boil green beans.
It is better to exclude canned food from the diet, as it may contain sugar, salt and flavoring additives in the marinade, which increase calorie content and have a bad effect on metabolism.
Frying also increases the calorie content, as the vegetable absorbs fat. When losing weight, along with green beans, you should include other foods in your diet that help normalize body weight. It is usually recommended to consume eggs, lean meat and fish, other low-calorie vegetables, yoghurt and kefir, tomato juice and herbal teas, and bran bread.
For various diseases
Green beans will be beneficial for diseases such as arthritis and rheumatism, asthma, infectious diseases, inflammation of the lungs and bronchi, atherosclerosis and heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity.
This product is great for diabetics and they can include green beans in their daily menu. The pods help lower blood sugar. This product is used in folk medicine to treat diabetes. From the pods (50 g) make a decoction in 1 liter of water or leave overnight in a thermos. Drink 1 cup of decoction before meals.
Important! A diabetic should coordinate his diet and treatment with traditional methods with his doctor.
Beans should be consumed with caution in cases of gout and nephritis, as they contain purines
