How to Perfectly Boil Green Beans
Making perfect green beans isn’t rocket science – it’s food science! This tried and true method of quick-boiling ensures they remain bright green, slightly crisp, flavorful and ready in less than 7-minutes!
The secret is all about the salt content of the water and the cooking time.
This quick and foolproof method is based on Harold McGee‘s culinary expertise. McGee is a food science writer and author of the infamous book, “On Food and Cooking,” published in 1984, which has been used in food-science courses in many universities.
In one of my food science courses, we were challenged with testing McGee’s theory by boiling several pounds of these, (also known as “string beans”), each with different salt content, water levels and cooking times. McGee’s formula was clearly the best and most accurate result.
The science behind it
Without going into a food-science dissertation about the chemistry behind McGee’s method (it has something to do with sodium ions displacing calcium ions, and so on…) let’s just dumb it down to what’s easiest to learn:
A quick- boil in highly salted water and an immediate immersion in an ice bath are key.
The cooking water mimics the sodium content of seawater, which has a concentration of 3% salt. Ample salt not only speeds up the cooking procss, but it also ensures the vegetables retain their bright green color; this color retention is further enhanced by immersing them immediately in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Prep the beans by snapping off the darkest end where the bean was attached to the pole or vine, (that’ why their often called “pole beans”), and remove any strings (that’s why their often referred to as “string beans.”)
Salt to water ratio is 2:1
A common and initial reaction to the amount of salt is “that seems like a lot of salt,” and yes, it is; however, the beans do not absorb all of the salt and they turn out perfectly seasoned.
- The general rule of thumb is: 2 tablespoons of salt per quart of water.
- The amount of water doesn’t matter, the beans just need to be fully immersed ; Usually, 1 ½ – 2 pounds of green beans need 2 quarts of water (8 cups).
- The type of salt doesn’t matter. Use table salt or Kosher salt
Boiling time
- The recommended boiling time varies between 4-7 minutes, with the boiling time never to exceed 7 minutes. This 7-minute cooking time is perfect for up to 2 pounds of string beans. If you’re cooking more than 2 pounds, you’ll want to cook them in batches, each for no longer than 7-minutes.
Immediate ice bath
- Place a large bowl of ice water next to your stovetop. Once the green beans have boiled (or blanched) for 4-7 minutes, remove them and immediately submerge them in the ice bath for 1-minute.
- This one-minute soak in ice cold water stops the cooking process
- Drain and pat dry or spin in a salad spinner
Serving and warming
Once you’ve patted them dry, they are the perfect temperature and texture for adding to a salad.
To warm them before serving, heat a large, dry skillet on medium to medium-high heat and working in batches, lightly toss and rotate them in the hot skillet; transfer to a serving bowl and cover with platic wrap until ready to serve.
This quick-cook method can be applied to other green vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, snow peas, asparagus and sugar snap peas.
How to Perfectly Boil Green Beans
Equipment
- Large stockpot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green beans, rinsed and trimmed (See Recipe Notes for Yield)
- 2 quarts boiling water (8 cups)
- ¼ cup salt (4 tablespoons)
- 2 quarts of ice water
Instructions
- Rinse and snap the end of the beans; remove any discolored or damaged beans
- On high heat, bring water to boil; once boiling, add salt2 quarts boiling water (8 cups), ¼ cup salt (4 tablespoons)
- Add green beans; bring back to boil and cook for 5-7 minutes; do NOT cook more than 7 minutes (See Recipe Notes)2 pounds green beans, rinsed and trimmed
- Set up a big bowl of ice water next to your stove2 quarts of ice water
- Once you've hit the 5-7 minute mark, remove beans and immediately submerge in cold water; allow beans to chill for 1-minute; remove from ice water and pat dry; serve immediately
- If you want to heat the beans after you remove them from the ice bath, heat a dry skillet on medium-high heat. Working in batches, place a single layer of beans in the hot skillet, rotate and toss the beans to ensure all of the beans get warm, then plate on a serving platter.
