Green beans…fresh green beans…fresh green beans, stir-fried in olive oil until tender crisp with a dash of dill weed. My taste buds are looking forward to supper.

Green beans are flourishing in gardens this summer. Are you anticipating that first taste of your homegrown green beans? Plain or enhanced with sauces, marinated or served in salads and soups, green beans win a place at the dinner table.

Here are some tips to obtain the best flavor from your beans:

1. Pick young beans with small seeds, should feel pliable and velvety, not tough. They should be about the size of a small pencil.
2. Just before using - wash green beans in cold water. Trim and cut green beans. Vegetables cut or chopped ahead of time lose nutrients more quickly. A bean cutter is a useful tool for large batches.
3. Use very little water, not more than one inch in the bottom of a pan for 1 lb. of beans.
4. Cook beans in small batches. The fewer the beans, the quicker they cook and better they taste.
5. Cook uncovered for first few minutes to preserve bright green color, then cover and cook until just tender crisp.
6. Overheating and overcooking will cause discoloration.
7. Beans will continue to cook after boiling water has been drained. You may want to remove them just before reaching the crisp tender stage or plunge them in ice water for salads.

Green beans should be welcomed to your table year round. By freezing or canning the beans, you can provide an ample supply for your family to enjoy. Low in calories and sodium and a source of Vitamins A and C, green beans are perfect for all diets.

For freezing, select young tender pods and blanch before freezing. For canning choose the more mature beans to help prevent mushiness. Use a Deluxe Bean Frencher to cut beans into elegant slender slices for canning. Be sure to use a pressure canner when canning green beans since they are a low acid food.

However you like to serve them, don’t let an ounce of flavor be lost in the preparation. Your taste buds deserve to relish every bite.