Gardening: Growing Chinese Long Beans
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Chinese Long Beans
Oh my gosh! This is probably the funnest and coolest thing I’ve ever grown in my garden. Chinese Long Beans, also known as Asparagus Beans and Yard Long Beans, are very common throughout Asia, but not too many people grow them here in the States. Well that needs to change! These prolific climbers produce beans that are 2-3 feet in length, and produce abundantly throughout the summer just like a normal green bean does. They taste just like a regular green bean, though to me, seem a bit more mild, especially when raw. Packed full of Vitamin A, they are great in stir fry or served up as a side dish. They are wonderful!
How to plant Chinese Long Beans
Chinese Long Beans are aggressive climbers, so make sure to plant them next to a high trellis, fence, or pole. I ran steel wire down from a garden obelisk this year for them to grow on. They easily climbed that wire, reached the top of the obelisk, and then reached out to the tree branches above it and were on their way through the tree. I should have let them go, but didn’t know if I’d have to climb the tree to harvest my beans, so I cut them down a bit.
Chinese Long Beans prefer full sun, so plant accordingly. Plant just like you do a regular green bean, laying the bean on it’s side and planting to a depth of 1/2″. Space the beans out 12″ from each other, whether in rows or grids. The seeds will germinate in 10-15 days, and produce little seedlings that are pale yellow-green, which promptly send out climbing shoots. Make sure you give them something to grab hold of.
Chinese Long Bean Seedling
Chinese Long Beans: Giant Beans Make Giant Blossoms
Well, this makes sense, but I’m not sure I was really anticipating it. These blossoms are huge! They are roughly 2 inches square, which for a vegetable blossom, is pretty big. But boy how beautiful they are! They really are quite stunning. The only way they could be better is if they had a sweet aroma, but alas, mine didn’t have a scent at all. The beans usually grow in pairs, so you’ll usually find blossoms attached to each other as well, or one developing right after the first is done, like what’s seen in this picture (notice the little been growing right next to this blossom?):
Chinese Long Bean Blossom
When to Harvest Chinese Long Beans
Regular snap beans are pretty forgiving about being left on the vine. Not so with Chinese Long Beans. There is a fine line between them being perfectly crunchy and green, to them becoming pale colored and soft. Pick the beans when about 1/4″ wide, about as thick as a pencil. At this point, they are really just all pod.
As they get thicker, they begin developing their beans inside. As those beans develop bigger, the pods shrivel and become dry and not delicious. However, you can alternately just let all the beans develop, shuck them, and eat them as a dried bean.
As they mature, the bean pods can get up to 3 feet in length. However, harvesting them when they are between 12-18″ is usually the best texture, thickness, and flavor.
The pods grow very fast, and you will find that you may need to harvest them daily to keep up with them. That may sound daunting, but they can be refrigerated for 5 days and still seem very fresh and crisp. Just stack them into a bundle and place in your vegetable drawer with high humidity, or place in a plastic zip top bag to keep fresh while refrigerating.
Chinese Long Beans Over 2 Feet Long
How to Cook with Chinese Long Beans
Every Chinese Food Buffet in the country serves up delicious wok fried Chinese Long Beans. These are simply fried in oil along with some ginger, onion, and/or garlic, and seasoned with soy sauce, salt, and pepper. When doing this, fry the beans in the oil first until the skin starts to shrivel and/or crack. Then add the rest of the ingredients to season them with.
Wok Fry Chinese Long Beans
Cooked Chinese Long Beans
But you can also cook them up in a stir fry, put in a soup, or eat them raw in a salad. Basically, use them wherever you would use a regular snap bean. Just make sure to cut them into 2-3 inch pieces first….. a 2 foot long bean on your plate is a bit overwhelming!
The Bald Gourmet grows delicious and more unique vegetables in his gourmet garden, like Chinese Long Beans.
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When you stir fry them. put a little smashed garlic in to add great flavor.
Great post on Asian Long Beans! I grow a rack or two in my ‘sun room’ container garden every year. Since the space is protected, but often very sunny, I can plant these beans (as well as Snow Peas) in mid-January! (Located in Western Oregon.) With both the beans and the peas, I usually start additional containers in late March and then repeat they cycle toward the end of summer, so I end up with beans and peas for about nine months. Both are prolific, so I have plenty to barter at our weekly market and I’m often the first with an edible crop to offer each season.
My favorite recipe for Long Beans is to saute with the smallest bit of oil (try sesame oil), add a little grated ginger and/or garlic and a spoon of Black Bean & Garlic paste, thinning with small amount of chicken (or Veggie) broth. Just for fun, we’ve named this dish “Long Beans in Used Motor Oil, because that’s what it looks like! Enjoy.
I’m jealous of your sun room garden! My garden season is never long enough.
Thanks for the recipe tip. I will give that a try with my beans this year. Sounds delish. Thanks for posting.
Hi -
I live in SC. When would be the best time to plant these beans? I saw a photo of them, then did a little checking into buying them, but haven’t found a “when”.
Any hints would be appreciated.
Pls put something about long beans on the subject line, so I know what it is.
Thanks in advance – you have convinced me!!!
Flo
Plant them after the last chance of frost just like you would normal green beans. For me here in Idaho, thats the 1st of June. I’m not sure about SC. They are serious climbers, so give them something to grow on. Their blossoms are beautiful, and their beans delicious and fun. They are different than regular green beans, but are awesome in stir fry or with some ground pork and ginger. Have fun with them Flo!
Flo – If you go to Burpee.com you can enter your zip code and they will tell you what zone you are and when you can plant these beans! Good luck with your beans!
I wanted to know if you can plant them in pots or buckets? I plant other veggies in buckets and thy do well just not sure about beans. Any ideas!
Thanks
Janet, I haven’t tried growing them in buckets personally, but don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t grow in them. They really aren’t much more demanding than regular green beans…. they just like lots of water.
Well – Potted beans it is then! I will kee you posted on the outcome! Thanks for the response!