So Many Chinese Long Beans, Oh My!

What To Do With All Those Chinese Red Long Beans?
The long bean plants showing the beans hanging all over the plant.
I took this picture AFTER I picked 60 off the vines on Saturday.

I planted too many.

I planted the whole darn packet, thinking that they wouldn’t all sprout but I think I only lost about 4 seedlings.

They propagate so quickly and have a unique growing system ……. 2 beans to a stem.

Most often, when I go to harvest the beans, the twin beans grow at the same pace although, a few times I have only picked one of them and left the smaller bean on the stem to mature.

Two beans showing a close-up of how they grow together.
The beans grow two per stem.

I picked about 30-40 beans last Thursday and then about 60 more on Saturday, then 30 on Sunday and ………. another 60 on Tuesday!

The bunch of beans I picked on Saturday, along with the three zucchini.
The beans I picked on Saturday, along with three zucchini.

I have to check the vines every day.

I still have so many, and even though I gave a bunch away to my Sister-In-Law, I have scoured the internet, desperate to find different ways to use these babies.

They are growing faster than I can put them up, but after I blanched and froze 4 lbs., I found another way to use them ………

The dehydrated burgundy colored long beans on a white plate.
Dehydrated Chinese Long Beans I made. Look at the beautiful burgundy color!

I made dehydrated bean chips and …….  THEY.  ARE.  DELICIOUS.

The beans laid out on cutting board.
Wash the beans and cut stems off.
The beans cut into 4" lengths.
Cut the beans into 4″ lengths, or make them as close to the same length as possible for even cooking and dehydrating.
The beans in the boiling water.
Boil or steam for 3 minutes.
The beans in ice water.
Plunge the beans into ice water until completely cooled.

 

 

The blanched beans laid out on kitchen towels to dry.
Lay them out on clean kitchen towels or paper towels and pat dry.
The beans in a bowl with the oil and seasoning on them.
Put the beans in a bowl and add the sesame oil and gently mix with your hand. Sprinkle the seasoning on the beans and, again, gently toss.
The beans spread out on the dehydrator trays.
Lay the beans on the dehydrator trays, allowing for sufficient airflow.
The trays filled and stacked, ready to cook.
Stack the trays, turn on the dehydrator and cook for about 12 hours with the vents completely open.
The Ronco dehydrator I use.
The dehydrator plugged in (on a chair in the garage) and ready to make chips. This is a very basic model, on loan from Patz, but I have used it for multiple tasks and it has not let me down. There aren’t any temperature controls, only the air vents on the lid. 🙂
To make Chinese Long Bean Chips:
  • Wash the beans and cut the ends off.
  • cut them in about 4″ pieces.
  • Either boil or steam for 3 minutes.
  • Submerge in ice water until completely cooled.
  • Dry the beans as best you can.
  • Put in a bowl and drizzle with a little oil of choice.
  • Sprinkle with seasoning of your choice.
  • Dehydrate for about 12 hours.

For this batch, which was about 30 long beans cut into 4″ pieces, I used:

  • 1/2 t organic sesame oil
  • 1/2 t homemade garlic salt
  • 1/4 t dill weed
  • 10 grinds of fresh pepper

Toss the beans with the oil to coat evenly.  Sprinkle a little seasoning and gently toss.  Continue to sprinkle and toss until desired coverage.  Dehydrate for 12 hours.

Enjoy them as a snack or crumbled into a salad!
The dehydrated beans on a plate.
This batch was about 30 long beans, and dehydrated for 16 hours. Although the chips are still good, I think 12 hours is about perfect with this particular unit.

The first batch (the test batch) I made had this seasoning, inspired from a website I cannot find now, and although the site did not give an exact recipe, it did state the ingredients of the seasoning they used.

Amounts are subjective anyway, so I just threw a bit of each seasoning together for my liking.

  • garlic salt
  • onion powder
  • cayenne pepper

This is the spice mixture I’m putting on my next batch:

  • 1/2 t berbere
  • 1/2 t garlic powder
  • 1/2 t onion powder

Spicy, baby!

“Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success and love; it will all come back to you in abundance.”

xoxo, Katy

 

 

Author: Katy

I am a business owner, a mom of two grown daughters, a wife, and lover of life! I am an active 50+ -er with many new developing interests. Physical activity has always played a role in my life. Sometimes, more ........and sometimes, less. As a "Baby Boomer," it has become increasingly important for me to navigate the aging process with grace and agility. Part of the healthy living equation is, of course, the nutritional aspect as well. This blog, first and foremost, is devoted to women over the age of 50 looking to improve the quality of their life by exercising and consuming a healthy diet. Cheers to a life well lived! *You can read more about me by visiting my Home Page.