The Washington herald., 1912-05-28
THE PREPARATION
or STRING BEANS
Superhne or Coarse According as
They Are Cooked.

II the preparation Of string beans is
one OF the most delicate OF operations,
surely 1t should not be followed by some
coarse and Indifferent treatment OF this
supertine or very common vegetable, ac-
cording as It is cooked.
What the everyday housewife calls
cooking her beans the experts call
blanching them, with the exception that
she does not treat them with cold water
to finish the process. There are green
beans which do not need to be prepared
by this process, but most Of those Of
the market do.
A green bean. to be delicious, should
never. taste Of the water. How any one
can cook q green bean by simmering Il
for two or three hours and have II any
thing but water-Iogged, I do not see,
but people do so cook It and believe It
is the ideal way. OF course, II can
hardly come out a green bean.
Green beans from the market should
always be freshened IN cold water, but
to soak them for twelve hours after
they have been stringed, and broken In
pieces, even in cold weather, seems
rather excessive, although this is recon-
mended by one Of our highest authori-
ties
To BIanch Green Beans.
Drain from cold water and drop them
into salted water that is boiling rapidly,
allowing a teaspoonful OF salt to two
quarts Of water. Boil rapidly twenty
minutes, pour into 3 colandeT, and after
they have drained let cold water run
upon them.
After this process the beans may be
finished as one chooses. II they are soft
enough to eat without further cooking.
A. fhaW
are. As they may be blanched some
time before II Is time to use them this
process helps the busy cook who has
many things to watch and care for and
prepare at the same time for dinner.
A few minutes more OF cooking Is all
that is needed in order to heat them
and add whatever is needed
Beans are one OF the vegetables in par
ticular on which white sauce should not
be wasted. It may be more economical
to prepare them thus, but they are so
infinitely better with butter only that
II would seem best to economiZe else
where. After they have been blanched
put on to finish with one-half cup OF
boiling salted water to a quart OF beans
and be generous with the butter.
large tablespoonful is all too scant for
this measure OF beans, perhaps enough
to cook them in II they are to be on the
sIONe nIIeen ullnuless DuN lllOlS AA1SN oO
added just as they are served.
Mrs. Rorer's Method.
Mrs. Rorer not only runs cold water
over her beans, but she lets them stand
In II for ten minutes to blanch them. |
This is something Of a waste Of bean
substance.
Fresh beans may be cooked very DELI |
ciously and remain green without blanch- |
ing them by adding a little piece Of but |
ter TO them when they are half done |
and letting the water all cook away be- |
fore they are seasoned further with but |
ter. The wide pole bean is always deli |
cious cooked in this way.
The butter or wax bean does not so |
much need blanching as most green |
beans do. and yet It Is generally prepared 1
n the same way. An excellent hot salad /
IS made as follows: Cut up a slice Of
bacon in small squares and fry in but
er. When brown thicken fat with -four |
md add a little hot water and vinegar
md let boil a few minutes. Add enough ]
liquid so that the dressing will be Of the /
light consistency. Pour this over the
prepared beans. which have had added to
hem a little pepper and bit Of sugar.
Serve hot