Fresh Yardlong Beans

About

Chewy and flavorful yard long beans, also known as Chinese snake beans, are closely related to black-eyed peas. Its immature, tender, edible pods are one of the most popular pod-vegetables used in the Philippines and other East Asian cuisines. The beans are also grown in small scales in the home gardens in the Southern United States, West-Indies as well as in the Mediterranean regions.

The yard long pods are actually legumes belonging to the Fabaceae family. The beans were thought to have originated in southern Chinese Yunnan province. Scientific name: Vigna unguiculata, sub. sesquipedalis. Some of the common names include asparagus-bean, string-bean or Chinese snake beans. The beans in general recognized by local names as bora (West Indies), dau gok (China), pole sitao (Philippines), etc.

Benefits

• Yard-long beans are one of the ancient cultivated crops. Young, immature pods are one of the very low-calorie vegetables; 100 g beans contain just 47 calories.
• The pods contain large quantities of soluble and insoluble fibers. Since the entire green pod is eaten as in green beans, sufficient amount of dietary fiber is obtained in the diet. Dietary fiber helps to protect the colon mucosa by reducing its exposure time to toxic substances as well as by binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon. Fiber rich food also found to reduce LDL-cholesterol levels by decreasing reabsorption of cholesterol binding bile acids in the colon.
• Fresh yard-long beans are one of the finest sources of folates. 100 g beans provide 62 µg or 15% of daily requirement of folates. Folate along with vitamin B-12 is one of the essential components of DNA synthesis and cell division. Adequate folate in the diet around conception and during pregnancy may help prevent neural-tube defects in the newborns.
• Fresh beans contain a good amount of vitamin-C. 100 g yard-long beans provide 18.8 mg, or 31% of vitamin-C. Vitamin-C is a powerful water-soluble antioxidant, and when adequately provided in the diet, it helps build immunity to combat infections, contribute to maintaining blood vessel elasticity, and offer some protection from cancers.
• Furthermore, the long beans are excellent sources of vitamin-A. At 865 IU per 100 g; the beans have more of this vitamin than that of the other same family legumes such as lima beans, fava, green beans, etc. Vitamin-A is one of the essential vitamins for the body provided through our diet. Vitamin-A maintains mucosal integrity, enhances skin complexion, and improves night vision.
• Also, yard long beans provide average amounts of minerals such as iron, copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium. The body uses manganese as a cofactor for the important antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.

Storage

Fresh, tender beans can be readily available year-round in the farmer markets all over Asia. In the USA, however, you may find them in selected markets that specialize in Asian/ Cantonese vegetables or some supermarkets supplying them from the West Indies. They generally sold in loosely tied small bunches.Yard long beans generally harvested while the pods are at their immature stage, just before to full development. Hence, they tend to perish early if kept open for a few hours. In the farms, the beans transferred to cold storage facilities soon after harvest.

Choose smooth, firm yet flexible, fleshy, long and uniformly green immature pods. Avoid mature, tough, flabby, yellow or shriveled pods as they indicate old stock, and hence, out of flavor.

Once at home, treat them as you do for French or green beans. Store in a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator set at optimal humidity where they stay fresh for 2-4 days.