Use it up · Vegetables

Green beans

Have extra green beans? Here’s how to choose, store and prep green beans, plus 6 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Choose slim, crisp beans that snap when bent.

Best season: Summer into fall. Timing varies by region.

🧊 Storing it

Fridge: 3 to 5 days
Freezer: 8 months (blanch first)

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

🔪 Prepping it

Snap off the stem ends. Steam or boil until bright green, or roast at 425°F.

🌱 Grow it

You can grow your own: green (snap) beans. The Food Garden Planner shows how much to plant for your family and when it comes in.

🌱 Plan a garden with it →

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Green beans (fresh). 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	31 kcal	2%
Protein	1.8 g	4%
Total fat	0.2 g	0%
Saturated fat	0.1 g	0%
Total carbohydrate	7.0 g	3%
Dietary fiber	2.7 g	10%
Total sugars	3.3 g
Sodium	6.0 mg	0%
Calcium	37 mg	3%
Iron	1.0 mg	6%
Potassium	211 mg	4%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 169961 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

6 recipes, the ones that use the most green beans first.

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.