When you think of classic, crunchy, fresh green beans, chances are, you’re thinking about Tendergreen beans!
These classic beans are known for their crisp texture, hardiness, and versatility when it comes to how they’re enjoyed.
Read on to learn more about the wonderful Tendergreen bean!
Characteristics of Tendergreen Beans
These beans are easy to grow, have many uses, and are great for a beginning gardener. The plants are hardy and disease resistant.
The beans grow up to six inches long and can be frozen, canned, or eaten fresh off the plant.
This bean is also called Tendergreen Improved. So don’t worry— the names are interchangeable and they’re the exact same beans.
Everything about Eating Tendergreen Beans
These beans are a versatile, delicious bean that even the pickiest eater should be able to enjoy!
What do they taste like?
Tendergreen beans are tender and fresh! They’re flavorful, but not too vegetable-y for veggie-phobic people to eat.
What do they go well with?
Fresh Tendergreen beans go well with almost any other vegetable and many proteins.
They’re a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine, French cuisine, and good ol’ Southern home cooking. They can be put in casseroles, sauteed, fried, or served alongside a classic, such as a delicious meatloaf.
How do I cook with them?
Tendergreen beans are easy to cook and can be substituted for any other fresh green bean.
You can simply toss them in a pan with some butter and garlic for a quick saute. They’re also fantastic is a tried and true green bean casserole!
If you’re looking to curb your craving for fries, you can dredge them in egg and flour and toss them in the oven or an air fryer.
If it’s Asian night in your kitchen, try these Szechuan green beans.
Are they good for snacking?
Undoubtedly, YES!
These beans are perfect for pairing with a dip and enjoying instead of a chip. How you enjoy it depends on what sort of cuisine you’re craving.
Blanched green beans with tarragon sauce is a unique, French take on green bean snacks. If you want something a little spicier, try out these air fried green beans with spicy dipping sauce!
Will my kids like them?
Tendergreen Improved beans can be used in so many ways, it’s almost impossible that your children won’t like them. Try a recipe that you think they’ll like first, maybe a fried one to make them think of french fries, and see how it goes.
If that doesn’t tickle their fancy, try out another way. Maybe they’ll like a casserole better. Or even some that are crispy, salty, and broiled.
Keep trying different preparations until you find one they like!
Health Benefits of Tendergreen Beans
The beans are full of vitamins and other nutrients that you need for a well-balanced diet.
Nutritional Information
According to the USDA, green beans have roughly the following nutritional values in every cup of tendergreen beans:
- 28 calories
- 0.5 grams of fat
- 5.5 g of carbohydrates
- 2.6 g of fiber
- 2 g of sugar
- 1.5 g of protein
They’re also a fantastic source of folate, vitamin C, vitamin A, manganese, and calcium.
Other Health Benefits
The fiber content in Tendergreen beans means they’re considered a heart healthy food! Soluble fiber in food sometimes helps reduce bad cholesterol in your body, keeping your heart functioning at a high capacity.
The high level of vitamin K in these beans is also great for your bones. Vitamin K is what allows your bones to absorb the calcium they need to stay strong.
Low vitamin K levels are linked to fragile bones. A single cup of green beans will give your body 20% of the vitamin K it needs every day!
How to Grow Tendergreen Beans at Home
Tendergreen beans are a fantastic option for a beginner gardener! They’re easy to grow, naturally pest- and disease-resistant, and typically yield a good harvest in many conditions.
How to Plant and Grow Tendergreen Bean Plants
Size
Tendergreen bean plants grow to be somewhere between 18-20 inches tall when fully matured. These plants are of a bushy variety, which means they don’t need a trellis or any additional support.
Spacing
Plant your seeds two to three inches apart, about one inch deep into the soil. If you’re doing multiple rows, make sure there are two or three feet in between each row to ensure you have enough space to move between them to tend and harvest.
These plants thrive when they’re in full sun at least six hours of the day, so take that into consideration when planning your garden.
Pollination
This plant is an open-pollinated plant, meaning they naturally get pollinated by bees, birds, and other things in nature. They don’t require any additional help.
How to Care for Tendergreen Bean Plants
Watering
The seeds can rot if they stay too wet for too long, so be sure to not overwater them while they’re still germinating below the surface.
Once they’ve popped out of the ground, they need an inch of water every week. Consistent moisture levels are going to lead to a higher yield of beans, so spread the water out evenly and take rainfall into consideration.
Pests & Diseases
These plants do a good job fighting pests and diseases off on their own, but you can aid them in that by watering at the base of the plant and keeping the leaves dry.
How and When to Harvest Tendergreen Beans
These beans take somewhere between 55-60 days to fully mature. To enjoy them at their best, pick the beans off the plant when they’re still young, before the beans get big enough to make lumps inside the pod.
These beans only produce for about two weeks, so it’s a good idea to stagger your planting over a few weeks to enjoy your crop for a longer period of time.
Seed Sourcing
Have we sold you on growing your own beans? If so, we know just where to tell you to get seeds!
True Leaf Market has both organic and heirloom seeds for you to purchase. There are multiple size options available for purchase, so you can choose the one that makes the most sense for the area you’re planning on seeding.
Wrapping Up Tendergreen Beans
Tendergreen beans are a fantastic choice for any gardener looking for a hardy, delicious, high-yielding bean to add to their garden. These tender, mild beans can be cooked fresh, frozen for months, or canned for years to come!
To learn more about other varieties of beans, check out our beans page for all our legume-related blog posts.
- About the Author
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Stephanie Lamberth is a writer who gained most of what she knows about gardening from summers spent on her family’s farm tending, picking, and storing the produce they grew.
Her family started and ran a thriving farm that fed hundreds, if not thousands, of people in the community with fresh, naturally grown produce. She learned the effort and the reward of growing your own food!
Stephanie now lives in Tennessee with her husband and three kids. Their schedules don’t allow for a large garden, but she loves incorporating herbs from their flowerbeds in her kitchen and using her knowledge to help others.
Stephanie can be reached at stephanielamberthwriting@gmail.com