Challenge: Green Beans canned vs. fresh

Green beans are a classic side dish for any holiday. I debated an update on green bean casserole, but decided instead to serve fresh green beans and canned green beans, each were lightly sauteed in butter with garlic, salt and pepper and finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Fresh Green Beans

Green beans are pretty simple to prepare. I put mine into a skillet with a bit of water and steamed them for about eight minutes. I drained the pan, wiped it dry and then sauteed them in butter with garlic for about three minutes.  I bought mine for 99 cents per pound; a pound yields about four to six servings.

Process: Steam or boil for about six to eight minutes, then lightly saute in butter
Active time:  4 minutes
Total time:  11 minutes
Cost per 1/2 cup serving: 28 cents
Cleanup factor: One pan
Ingredients: GREEN BEANS, BUTTER, GARLIC, SALT, PEPPER, LEMON JUICE

Canned Green Beans

Process: Open a can, drain excess water, lightly saute in butter
Active time:  4 minutes
Total time:  8 minutes
Cost per 1/2 cup serving: 24 cents
Cleanup factor: One pan

Ingredients: GREEN BEANS, BUTTER, GARLIC, SALT, PEPPER, LEMON JUICE

The Result

 Fresh green beans: 7
Canned green beans: 0

All the firemen immediately recognized the grayish-green color of the canned beans. Here’s what else they said:

• “They don’t even look the same. It’s almost like they’re a different vegetable.”
• “The crispness of the green beans is really nice. Lots of flavor.”
• “It’s not that I dislike canned green beans, but side-by-side like this, it’s a reminder how much better they are fresh.”
• “They remind me of school lunches.” 

Conclusion: Even if you rely on canned veggies the rest of the year, take a few extra moments to make your vegetable sides from scratch. It doesn’t take that much extra time and the flavor difference will be worth it. The laziest way is to simply roast some baby carrots or some sliced Brussesls sprouts while the turkey cooks. Coat them in some olive oil and sea salt and let them hang out until their soft and slightly browned. Reheat just before serving. If you decide to steam them or pan-fry, just coat with a simple lemon and oil vinaigrette.

Be sure to check out my complete Thanksgiving guide for more tips and recipes.

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