Me? I put salt and a little pepper on the green beans after they're in the pot, but most of them are out of the water. That's why I say I half boil them and half steam them. I usually give the pot a shake or four as they cook.
Can I just saute green beans?
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Me? I put salt and a little pepper on the green beans after they're in the pot, but most of them are out of the water. That's why I say I half boil them and half steam them. I usually give the pot a shake or four as they cook.
I have never heard of blanching them before you saute them either....I always saute mine in olive oil and a little garlic....sometimes I make them with new potatoes so i do the potatoes and onions in the olive oil first then add in the green beans....yummy!
Jeekinz
Washing Up
Hey pacanis, check out this vid. How to Blanch Green Beans | ExpertVillage Videos
After thats done, you can saute them in a hot pan with evoo, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper for a minute to add your flavor. I do that with asparagus too. Works great for big dinners because you can let the veggie sit in the ice bath, then do a quick saute right before you serve. I usually toss them in a pan that was used for the dinner already.
After thats done, you can saute them in a hot pan with evoo, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper for a minute to add your flavor. I do that with asparagus too. Works great for big dinners because you can let the veggie sit in the ice bath, then do a quick saute right before you serve. I usually toss them in a pan that was used for the dinner already.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
That's exactly what I do and why. Plus they stay very green and appetizing that way.
I half expected to see a video of Paul McCartney blanching green beans 
So basically I should add a step and shock them? And boil them rather than kind of steam them? I'm so confused
I like the way my green beans come out, at least when I'm using Haricot Verts and not the cheaper, bulk ones.
I'll buy a handful though next time I'm in the store and see what happens. It's worth a try. Especially if I don't need to be committed to buying a 2lb bag.
So basically I should add a step and shock them? And boil them rather than kind of steam them? I'm so confused
I like the way my green beans come out, at least when I'm using Haricot Verts and not the cheaper, bulk ones.I'll buy a handful though next time I'm in the store and see what happens. It's worth a try. Especially if I don't need to be committed to buying a 2lb bag.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
There is no right or wrong answer here. If you like the way they come out using your method, by all means keep doing it !! 
There is no right or wrong answer here. If you like the way they come out using your method, by all means keep doing it !!
I do like them the way I cook them. I guess I don't understand why I am getting advice on cooking them unless it was in response to Michael not liking the olive color and tenderness that I like and him saying you can get that color by boiling them a long time like his mom did, or something to that effect.... I was trying to get more information on that because that never worked for me when I purchased the green beans in the bulk section. Only with those Greenline (or whatever) packaged HVs.
Like I stated, I wish I could get the same results with the cheaper green beans. If shocking them will do that for me it's worth a try.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
I'm confused. Sorry.
You want them mushy and drab? Or not?
It has been pointed out several times that shocking green beans locks in their bright green color. So if that's what you want, then that's what you should do.
If you want soft, greyish beans, boil them for a long time (10+)in salted water with a little lemon juce added. But beans in the winter time sometimes never get really soft, even when fully cooked. Or just eat canned beans, as they are already like this.
bethzaring
Master Chef
Here's what he said; "If you want the olive-drab green mush you get out of a can ... just do like my Mom used to do ... boil them for about 30-minutes!"
I thought he meant if you boil fresh green beans for 30 minutes that they will change color to darker olive green and also turn soft.
I tried several times to get fresh green beans (the typical, around here bright green ones) to turn olive color and soften up, so they weren't what I consider al-dente, with no luck. But I get the ones in a bag and they come out perfect every time. For my taste that is. Like the ones I posted the pic of on page 2.
Maybe the ones I bought in the bulk bin before were wintertime beans and there was no helping them turn soft, like jennyema said.
Maybe where the confusion lies is our own interpretation of what olive or bright or gray (?) green beans look like
bethzaring
Master Chef
I see, maybe he did mean boiling fresh green beans. All I know is my mom would take canned green beans and boil them for at least 30 minutes
I see, maybe he did mean boiling fresh green beans. All I know is my mom would take canned green beans and boil them for at least 30 minutes
So did mine!I have to admit I liked them though. She added lots of butter to them.
bethzaring
Master Chef
I have to admit I liked them though. She added lots of butter to them.
oh, you are so lucky, mine added margarine
I've got no problem with margarine either. It's all I bought myself for..... too many....... years.
Then I run into this site and it nothing but unsalted butter, spreadable butter, EVOO, canola oil, peanut oil..... Life is good.
Then I run into this site and it nothing but unsalted butter, spreadable butter, EVOO, canola oil, peanut oil.....
Life is good.Fisher's Mom
Executive Chef
Me, too, Pacanis. All those things are new additions to my pantry, too, and wow! What a difference!I've got no problem with margarine either. It's all I bought myself for..... too many....... years.
Then I run into this site and it nothing but unsalted butter, spreadable butter, EVOO, canola oil, peanut oil.....
Fisher's Mom
Executive Chef
Whoa, slow down Pacanis. You start going down that path and who knows where you'll end up.
Yeah..... just call me an adventurer
The thing about fresh herbs though, and this kind of relates to this thread, is that sometimes I like to add a little Italian seasoning to my sauteing green beans. How do you do that with fresh? Grab some oregano, parsley, thyme, whatever else they put in those plastic shakers, chop it up super-fine and toss it in? That's a lot of work for just adding a little seasoning and still wanting the beans to stand out and not a bunch of leafy/chunky looking fresh spices. I can see the benefit of fresh in some dishes, but dry is so much handier and lasts forever. You don't need as much either.
Calliope
Assistant Cook
Well it depends...
Funny you should mention...I'm just getting ready to do an Asian saute I like to do in a wok in which I start with fresh green beans not blanched or steamed. I saute in sesame oil and fresh garlic, and sometimes slivered almonds or cashews, and just towards the end add just a bit of water so they steam a bit. They are still pretty firm when the dish is finished, and I toss them with a bit of sesame seeds unless I've used other nuts earlier in the dish.
If I'm going to saute green beans in a sauce like soy or teriyaki that I want it to absorb though I will give them just a bit of a steam as softening them up a bit will allow them to absorb the liquid.
I'd say you can essentially blanch them at any point in the cooking process.
Robyn
Funny you should mention...I'm just getting ready to do an Asian saute I like to do in a wok in which I start with fresh green beans not blanched or steamed. I saute in sesame oil and fresh garlic, and sometimes slivered almonds or cashews, and just towards the end add just a bit of water so they steam a bit. They are still pretty firm when the dish is finished, and I toss them with a bit of sesame seeds unless I've used other nuts earlier in the dish.
If I'm going to saute green beans in a sauce like soy or teriyaki that I want it to absorb though I will give them just a bit of a steam as softening them up a bit will allow them to absorb the liquid.
I'd say you can essentially blanch them at any point in the cooking process.
Robyn
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