Beans: what they contain, how to cook them, and what tradition makes of the pods

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Beans are one of the oldest cultivated plants on earth, and one of the few vegetables that give you a pod, a fresh seed and a dried seed from the same plant. This page covers what is actually in them, how to cook and infuse each part, and the old herbal habit of drying the empty pods. Useful if you grow more beans than you can eat fresh.

What it is credited with

• Encouraging urine flow. In traditional European herbalism, the dried empty pods were infused and taken as a diuretic — one of the best-known kitchen-garden remedies of the nineteenth century.
• Urinary comfort. Old herbals include pod infusion in “draining” spring cures aimed at flushing the urinary system.
• A feeling of fullness. Naturopathy values beans in slimming meal plans for their fibre and protein, which make a plate feel more substantial for the calories.
• Sluggish digestion. Herbalists point to the fibre in cooked green beans as a gentle way to keep the gut moving.
• Growing children and teenagers. Traditional nutrition advice favours beans at the family table for their iron, folate and silicon content.
• Everyday tiredness. Naturopathy credits dried beans with supporting stamina thanks to their slow-release starch, iron and B vitamins.
• Spring “cleansing” routines. The pod infusion has a long reputation as a seasonal drink, usually taken in short courses rather than continuously.

How to use it

Steamed green beans, the everyday version

• Top and tail, leave whole or halve.
• Steam 8 to 12 minutes, until the colour deepens and a knife slides in with slight resistance.
• Dress warm with olive oil, lemon, garlic or a knob of butter — the fat helps you absorb the fat-soluble vitamin K.
• Serve hot as a side, or cold the next day in a salad with shallots and vinaigrette.

Boiled, if you want them bright

• Plenty of well-salted water, at a rolling boil, lid off.
• 5 to 8 minutes for thin French beans, 10 to 12 for thicker ones.
• Drop straight into iced water to stop the cooking and fix the green.

Dried seeds

• Soak overnight in cold water, at least 8 hours; discard the soaking water.
• Boil hard for a full 10 minutes at the start of cooking, then simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 depending on the variety and age of the seed.
• Salt at the end, not the start, or the skins toughen.
• Add savory, bay, cumin or fennel to the pot — these are the classic pairings used to make beans easier on the digestion.

Infusion of dried pods, the traditional preparation

• Use the dried, broken-up empty pods only — never green pods, never the seeds.
• Roughly a small handful (about a tablespoon of broken pod) per large cup of water.
• Bring to the boil, simmer gently 10 minutes, then leave to steep off the heat for another 10 and strain well.
• Traditionally drunk one to two cups a day, in the first half of the day, for short courses of a week or two rather than all year round.
• The taste is thin and hay-like; a slice of lemon or a sprig of mint makes it easier company.

Growing them for the kitchen and the jar

• Beans want sun and warmth; they sulk in cold ground.
• Deep, rich, humus-heavy soil that stays cool and slightly moist suits them best.
• They dislike thin, sandy soil that dries out fast.
• Sow once the soil has properly warmed in late spring, and stagger sowings into midsummer for a longer picking season.
• Leave the last flush on the plant into early autumn if you want dry seed and pods to store.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: cook beans properly — never raw — and keep the dried empty pods if you want to try the old infusion.

Can I eat green beans raw in a salad?

No. Raw pods contain phasin-type lectins that commonly cause stomach cramps, nausea and diarrhoea. Cooking destroys them, so blanch or steam the beans first, then chill them for your salad. The same applies, far more strongly, to dried seeds.

What is bean pod infusion, and how do I make it?

It is an old European kitchen-garden preparation made from the dried, empty pods left after shelling. Simmer about a tablespoon of broken dried pod in a large cup of water for 10 minutes, steep 10 more, then strain. In traditional herbalism it was drunk as a diuretic, in short courses of a week or two.

How long do dried beans need to cook?

Soak them overnight and throw away the soaking water. Then boil hard for a full 10 minutes before reducing to a simmer for 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Salt only at the end, otherwise the skins toughen.

Why do beans make me bloated, and can I do anything about it?

Their fermentable fibre is broken down in the gut and produces gas. Introduce them gradually rather than all at once, soak and rinse dried beans well, and cook them with savory, cumin, bay or fennel — the traditional pairings used for exactly this reason.

When should I pick beans?

Pods are at their best from early summer to early autumn, picked young while they still snap cleanly in two. Pick every two or three days to keep the plants producing. Leave the last flush on the plant into mid-autumn if you want dry seeds and pods to store.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.