Alright, let’s talk about boilin’ them green beans, you know, the ones you get from the garden or the store. How long you gotta boil ’em? Well, it ain’t rocket science, I tell ya. It’s simple as pie, kinda.
First off, you gotta get yourself a big ol’ pot, the kinda you use for makin’ soup or somethin’. Fill it up with water, you know, enough to cover them beans real good. Don’t be stingy with the water. Then, crank up the heat, get that water boilin’ like a mad kettle.
Now, some folks like to add salt to the water. They say it makes the beans taste better. I say, it’s up to you. If you like salty beans, throw some in. If not, don’t bother. Me? I usually toss in a pinch or two. Not too much, just enough to give it a little somethin’. Salt is important, ya know, just like when you’re making pickles!
Okay, so the water’s boilin’, right? Time to dump in them green beans. Don’t just throw ’em in all at once, kinda ease ’em in there, so you don’t splash yourself with hot water. Been there, done that, ain’t fun. And make sure them beans are washed good, nobody wants to eat dirt and bugs, that’s for sure.
- Wash the beans real good.
- Get a big pot of water boiling.
- Salt the water if you want.
- Put the beans in the boiling water.
Now, here’s the tricky part: how long do you boil ’em? Well, it depends. Some folks like ’em crunchy, some folks like ’em soft. Me? I like ’em somewhere in the middle. Not too hard, not too mushy. You gotta kinda test ’em to see if they’re done.
I’d say, for regular green beans, the ones that are kinda skinny and long, you boil ’em for about 5 to 7 minutes. That’s usually just about right. They’ll be tender, but still have a little bit of a bite to ’em. You don’t want ’em turnin’ into mush, nobody wants mushy beans. But if you like them softer, like my old man did, you might go for 8 or even 10 minutes, it’s all up to you. Just keep an eye on ’em, you know?
If you got them big ol’ flat beans, the ones they call Italian green beans, sometimes they take a little longer. Maybe 8 to 10 minutes. And if you’re boilin’ beans that you soaked overnight, like them dried beans, well, that’s a whole different story. Them fellas can take an hour or two to cook. We ain’t talkin’ ’bout them today, though. We’re talkin’ ’bout the fresh green beans.
So, you boil the beans for 5 to 7 minutes, then what? Well, you gotta get ’em outta that hot water, quick! If you leave ’em in there, they’ll keep cookin’ and turn into mush for sure. I use a big spoon with holes in it, you know, a slotted spoon, to scoop ’em out. Or you can dump ’em into a strainer, whatever works for ya.
Once you got ’em outta the water, some folks like to put ’em in ice water. They say it stops the cookin’ and keeps ’em nice and green. Me? I ain’t always got time for that ice water nonsense. I just rinse ’em with cold water from the tap. Works just as good, far as I can tell.
And that’s it! You got yourself some boiled green beans. Now you can eat ’em plain, or you can add some butter, salt, pepper, whatever you like. Sometimes I like to fry up some bacon and onions and mix it in with the beans. Makes ’em real tasty. But that’s a whole ‘nother recipe. You can put beans in salads, or eat them with some potatoes and meat, whatever you got a hankering for, that’s what my grand kids always say.
Boiling green beans ain’t hard, see? Just remember: big pot, boilin’ water, 5 to 7 minutes, and cold water rinse. And don’t forget to wash them beans good before you cook ’em! And you always wanna make sure the beans are cooked through, nobody wants to get an upset stomach. It’s a quick and easy way to cook ’em, and they’re good for ya, too. So go on, boil yourself some green beans. You won’t regret it.
Now, some folks might tell you different, they might say you gotta boil ’em for this long or that long, or you gotta add this or that to the water. But I’m tellin’ ya, this is how I do it, and my beans always turn out just fine. You can fuss around with it if you want, but I say, why make it complicated? Keep it simple, that’s my motto. Simple cooking is the best cooking, that’s what I always say. So go on now, get yourself some green beans and get to boilin’!
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