The No-Frills Method For Trimming Packaged Green Beans Quickly

Green beans are a nutritious, fresh-tasting vegetable and can be a low-effort addition to the dinner table. The only thing that gets in the way is the time it takes to prepare green beans for cooking. It is good practice to snap the ends off of your green beans before consumption as they are difficult to chew. Even if the actual fibrous part has been removed, this end of the green bean could show discoloration due to the cut, so it's best to give them another trim. The other end of the green bean, the one with the green tip, does not have to be removed but you can trim it for aesthetic reasons if you prefer.

This means taking each bean, one by one, and making the necessary cuts before you can cook with them, right? Well, if you bought your green beans in a prepackaged bag, use this trick: Cut the beans through the bag and be done with your prep work in seconds.

Here is how you do it: Take your unopened package of green beans and hold it up so that you can shake all the green beans to one side, lining up the ends. Then lay the bag flat on the cutting board and hold the green beans in place with your non-dominant hand. Using your other hand, take a knife and cut the ends through the bag. The bag will slice open and all of your ends will be neatly cut off.

Next, you should carefully pick up the bag and shake the beans to the other side so you can repeat the process with the other end. That way, you can make sure to get the ends cut off of every bean, without wasting any time. This allows you to dump your green beans in a colander, rinse them off, remove any that have too much discoloration, and begin cooking. 

If you're trying to get dinner on the table in a hurry, this kitchen hack is for you.