String bean

Green beans are the unripe, young fruit and protective pods of various cultivars of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Immature or young pods of the runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus), yardlong bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis), and hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus) are used in a similar way. Green beans are known by many common names, including French beans, string beans (for old varieties; modern varieties are stringless), snap beans, snaps, and the French name haricot vert. They are distinguished from the many other varieties of beans in that green beans are harvested and consumed with their enclosing pods, before the bean seeds inside have fully matured. An analogous practice is the harvest and consumption of unripened pea pods, as is done with snow peas or sugar snap peas. Historically, green bean pods contained a 'string', a hard fibrous strand running the length of one side of the pod. This string was either removed before cooking, or made swallowable by cutting the pod into short segments. Modern, commercially grown green bean varieties are 'stringless' and lack strings, though heirloom varieties may retain this trait. Green beans are eaten around the world, and are sold fresh, canned, and frozen. They can be eaten raw or steamed, boiled, stir-fried, or baked. They are commonly cooked in other dishes such as soups, stews and casseroles. A dish with green beans popular throughout the US, particularly at Thanksgiving, is green bean casserole, a dish of green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and French-fried onions. Some US restaurants serve green beans that are battered and fried, such as green bean tempura. Green beans are also sold dried, or fried with vegetables such as carrots, corn, and peas, as vegetable chips. Nutritionally, green beans are a healthy vegetable and the flavonol miquelianin (quercetin 3-O-glucuronide) can be found in green beans.. The first 'stringless' bean was bred in 1894 by Calvin Keeney, called the 'father of the stringless bean', while working in Le Roy, New York. Most modern green bean varieties do not have strings. Green beans are classified by growth habit into two major groups, 'bush' (or 'dwarf') beans and 'pole' (or 'climbing') beans.