Wax Beans vs. Green Beans: How to Cook With Wax Beans

Green beans are the unripe fruits of the common bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), of which there are numerous cultivars. Green beans go by many different names, like string beans, French beans, snap beans, and haricots verts in French, but the regular green beans found in a grocery store are the most common way to refer to the beans.

Green beans differ from other beans in that you cook them still in their bean pods. This is in contrast to black beans or pinto beans, which you harvest from their pods before enjoying them. You can steam or blanch green beans to retain the color and nutrients. Sautéing them in olive oil and lemon juice, roasting them like you might Brussels sprouts, and even grilling them are other cooking options.

Wax beans, also known as yellow beans or butter beans, are a common type of green beans. They get their name from their pale yellow color. Both dwarf and bush varieties can be found at grocery stores and farmers’ markets. Common wax bean cultivars include ‘Brittlewax’ and ‘Golden Butterwax’ beans.

Wax beans and typical green beans have a similar structure, texture, and taste. The only difference between them is that wax beans do not contain chlorophyll, the compound that gives green beans their green color. Otherwise, wax beans and green beans provide the same nutrients (especially calcium and vitamin A) and can be cooked interchangeably. Despite their differences in appearance, they have a similar flavor.

When selecting wax beans, look for beans that are free of brown spots and have a brittle snap. When you're ready to cook your wax beans, trim the stem ends and rinse the beans under cool water. Wax beans can be enjoyed raw or cooked. For quick and easy wax bean salad, try steaming them, tossing them in a vinaigrette, and topping with fresh bread crumbs.

Bush beans and pole beans are the two main green bean varieties, but there are many more cultivars. Consider ten common types of green beans.

1. 1. Blue Lake: This type is an heirloom variety the common green bean. There are Blue Lake varieties of both bush beans and pole beans. The pods are tender, sweet, and stringless. They work well in green bean casserole or steamed for an easy side dish.
2. 2. ‘Blue Lake 274’: This bush bean cultivar has green pods and white seeds. It is largely disease-resistant but a mosaic virus can afflict it. These beans are usually in cans in the grocery store.
3. 3. ‘Contender’: This is a stringless bean that is good for canning, cooking, or freezing. These have a stronger flavor than other green beans. They are very quick growers, able to produce pods about a week earlier than other beans.
4. 4. ‘Kentucky Blue’: This cultivar of the ‘Kentucky Wonder’ and ‘Kentucky Blue’ bean plants has pods that are generally straight and stringless with a sweet flavor. They are pole beans and need some type of vertical support structure to grow, like a trellis.
5. 5. ‘Kentucky Wonder’: This pole bean requires a trellis for support. The beans take about sixty-five days to grow and are stringless if you harvest them at the right time. Pick the pods when they are ready, and the bean plant should produce more until the first frost.
6. 6. ‘Rattlesnake’: This snap bean has purple markings on the pod. They grow easily almost anywhere but do better in hot weather. Fresh and raw, they have a sweet taste that becomes more intense when they are dried.
7. 7. Romano: Also known as Romano beans, Italian green beans, or Flat beans, this green bean variety is slightly flattened and closely related to common string beans, yellow wax beans, and haricot verts (French filet or fortex beans). Romanos with yellow or green pods are the most common, although there are purple Romanos, too.
8. 8. ‘Royal Burgundy’: These bush bean plants grow in pots or raised beds. They have deep purple pods and require about eight hours of full sun in order to thrive. This purple bean is resistant to the mosaic virus and white mold. The purple color comes from plant pigments called anthocyanins.
9. 9. ‘Scarlet Runner’: These almost purple runner beans grow on a trellis and are best dried outside their pods. The plant itself is an ornamental flowering plant, and the flowers are edible as well.
10. 10. Tendergreen: This heirloom bush bean is a heavy-yielding plant that is resistant to disease and heat. Tendergreen beans are easy to grow, and you can use them fresh, canned, or frozen without losing any of their flavors. The pods are stringless and tender.

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