Oranjeband® Climbing French Bean Helda, 25g

Climbing French Bean Helda, 25g (Phaseolus vulgaris)

From Fresh to Dried: A World of Possibilities

Common beans offer incredible versatility. Harvest young for tender green beans, snap beans, or haricots verts. Let them mature for fresh shell beans. Or dry them completely for pantry storage that lasts years. All from the same plant!

The variety is astounding: tiny French filet beans, flat Italian Romano beans, yellow wax beans, purple beans that turn green when cooked, speckled cranberry beans, creamy cannellini, hearty kidney beans, and many more.

Cooking Fresh Green Beans

The secret to perfect green beans: do not overcook. They should be bright green, crisp-tender, not army-green and mushy.

Blanch and shock: Boil beans for 2-3 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Dry and sauté with garlic and almonds.

Roast at high heat: Toss beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 220°C for 10-15 minutes until blistered and slightly charred. This method intensifies flavor wonderfully.

Dried Beans: Worth the Effort

Home-cooked dried beans have superior texture and flavor compared to canned. The key is proper preparation:

Soak overnight in plenty of water. This reduces cooking time and makes beans more digestible.

Cook low and slow with aromatics – onion, garlic, bay leaves, and herbs. Simmer until completely tender, usually 1-2 hours depending on the variety.

Salt at the end. Adding salt too early can toughen the skins.

The Three Sisters

Native Americans developed a brilliant planting system called the “Three Sisters” – corn, beans, and squash grown together. The corn provides a pole for beans to climb. The beans fix nitrogen that feeds the corn. The squash shades the ground, retaining moisture and suppressing weeds. This companion planting system has supported agriculture for over 5,000 years.

Important: Raw or undercooked kidney beans contain lectins that can cause severe food poisoning. Always boil kidney beans vigorously for at least 10 minutes before simmering. Other bean varieties are less problematic but should still be cooked thoroughly.

Growing Climbing French Bean Helda, 25g