Green beans are native to the Americas and have been cultivated since ancient times. Explorers discovered Indians growing green beans in Southern Mexico and Central America in the early 1500’s. The Indians developed a clever method of growing beans that is worth mentioning here. They would plant corn on a mound and then plant three to four beans around it. As the corn grew the bean plants would attach to the corn stalk and the plants grew up together interlaced as high as six feet tall.
Green beans from California start as early as Easter from the Imperial Valley, but
the official season begins in May with beans from Oxnard and Watsonville. However it is the crop closest to home that is most popular with the local folk. What’s left of the Brentwood growing area brings us many varieties of green beans that come to the market in some instances on the very same day as picked. The Brentwood green bean season begins in mid-June and runs until mid-September and sometimes into October.
Brentwood beans include several tasty varieties. The ever popular Romano or Italian Bean is a flat stringless bean that, along with its yellow cousin, ranges from ½” to ¾” in width and about 5 to 7 inches in length. The bean is usually a little tough when raw, but steams up tender, meaty and mildly waxy. Their unique flavor is outstanding.
French beans also known as Haricot Vert, are picked early while still very small and thin. These beans are long and straight, tender in texture, yet crisp and very tasty. They are very popular with chefs and are served at high end restaurants. Although this bean is mostly sold through foodservice distributors recent years

has found it making its way to the retail stand.
Yellow Wax Beans are also French beans, and, like green beans they are crisp, but milder in flavor. Many chefs prefer them over green beans because they make an attractive presentation. Yellow Wax beans are also the bean of choice in pickled vegetables because unlike their green counterpart they don’t fade in color.

Yellow Wax beans dehydrate rapidly so buy them fresh and use them right away.
Purple Beans are still considered a specialty item although they are making the crossover to mainstream. Purple beans are lovely in color and form and make an excellent presentation when used raw as they do turn green with the slightest amount of heat. Using lemon juice or vinegar in the water when cooking does not work in keeping their color as in other purple vegetables; however they do cook up very nicely and have a very similar flavor to green varieties.
In the mid 70’s when I first started in the produce business, the improved “stringless” Kentucky Wonder flat green bean was most prevalent on the produce stand. The bean was crisp and very tasty, but was prone to rust and was soon replaced in the market by the round Blue Lake bean that we see commonly see on the stands today.
When selecting green beans in the store, look for firm beans with a velvety texture and good color. A good bean will snap when broken in half. Avoid beans that are dull in color and have brown spots especially on the ends. Over mature beans will show the overgrown bean that is inside on the outside. Beans in this condition will be tough and most of the flavor will be lost.
Green beans are full of nutrition, providing vitamin A, fiber, potassium, folate, and iron along with magnesium, thiamin, riboflavin, copper, calcium, phosphorous, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and niacin.
Fresh green beans are available year round from California, Mexico and Florida, but right now we are in the heart of our local green bean crop and the freshest tastiest beans should be what you find on your favorite produce stand this time of year.