French Green Beans Delivery or Pickup

When shopping for green beans in the market, you'll find two options—green beans and French green beans, which are also called haricots verts in French. You may notice the two green beans don't look exactly alike. So, what is the difference between regular green beans and French green beans? French green beans are skinnier than traditional green beans, and they are usually more tender and flavorful. French green beans are picked earlier, so they are younger, giving them their signature flavor. If they were picked around the same time regular green beans are, you would notice a flavor difference. 

In France, all green beans are called haricots verts. There are even skinnier versions called haricots verts filets extra-fins. If you order green beans in a restaurant, you are likely getting regular green beans unless the menu denotes haricots verts or French green beans. Both green beans and haricots verts share the same scientific name, Phaseolus Vulgaris. 

Preparing French green beans is simple. You should wash the beans in cold water before cutting and cooking. Trim both ends, but keep the beans whole. Keeping them whole will help retain their crispiness and sweetness. 

Don't have any French green beans, but want some for dinner tonight? Open your Instacart app, and you'll find a selection of French green beans you can add to your cart. When you order through Instacart, you could have your order in time for dinner this evening. Your Instacart shopper will try to get your groceries delivered in as little as 2 hours! You concentrate on the rest of your menu preparation, and we'll do our best to get your groceries delivered the same day!

When shopping for French green beans, apply the same principles you would when picking out regular green beans. You want ones that are brightly colored and will snap easily when you bend them. Watch out for beans that have a brownish or yellow hue. You want to avoid those and stick with ones that are bright green. Next, check the bean's surface. You want beans that are smooth and tight. If you see lumps, bumps, and creases, it can signal a problem. 

While you might think choosing large beans is better, but that is not the case here. You want to find smaller beans because the bigger ones can become tough or stringy, and they will lose the sharp, fresh green bean flavor. Choose beans similar in shape and size, as they will make your cooking time more uniform. Beans that aren't as good are ones that have blemished, visible seeds, and are stiff-feeling.

To keep your beans fresh, store them properly. Consider keeping green beans in the refrigerator crisper drawer in a plastic bag. This step can keep them fresh for about a week. Do not wash them until you are ready to use them, as moisture can cause them to spoil more quickly.