Market Look-For’s

• Even, tight skin. Limp beans were picked awhile ago and not stored in a cool space.
• Thin beans are the most tender and mild in flavor.
• Avoid beans with lumps (large seeds inside) means they are past their prime and will be tough—although perfect for long, slow cooking!

Storage

• Store in refrigeration in a plastic bag to keep them crisp.
• If they are a little limp, soaking in cold water for an hour will help crisp them up again.

Notes

• Purple beans will turn a dull green if fully cooked. To keep the color, I cook the green beans and then toss them with the purple immediately to take the raw edge off but keep the color.