Preparation |
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25 min. |
1 | Green beans are all good... | |
2 | ...except for the two ends or tips, which have to be removed - that's the whole job of preparing them. There are 2 methods for achieving this. | |
3 | The "old-fashioned" wayTake each bean in your hand, then with the other hand break off the tip by bending it, throw it away, then do the same with the other tip. | |
4 | To obtain a bean like this. This is the procedure when dealing with stringy beans, and breaking the tip by hand also removes the threads. No secret, it's quite a long process... Perhaps it's something you've already done, back in the day, at your grandmother's house? | |
5 | Quick methodWith stringy beans all but extinct these days, a much quicker method is to take a small packet of beans... | |
6 | ...and cutting off all the ends at once, on one side... | |
7 | ...then the other. | |
8 | Use the method of your choice for all the beans, and place them in a colander. | |
9 | Then wash them, and your green beans are ready to cook. | |
10 | CookingCook the beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender. | |
11 | Drain and refresh under cold running water to stop cooking immediately. Drain again carefully. | |
12 | You can then cut them into pieces (more or less small), depending on your recipe. | |
13 | If you intend to use them in a salad, I recommend drying them carefully in a tea towel beforehand, to remove any cooking water that might interfere with your salad dressing. Alternatively, you can spin them. |