yardlong beans U-Pick farms

Yardlong Beans: Fun to Pick and Delicious to Eat

Yardlong beans, also known as long beans or snake beans, are a delightful vegetable that’s as fun to pick as it is to eat. Growing up to a foot or more in length, these vibrant green beans thrive in sunny gardens and are perfect for a hands-on picking experience.

Whether you’re visiting a U-pick farm or growing them in your own backyard, yardlong beans are especially enjoyable for kids. Their long, slender shape makes them easy to grasp, and children love the sense of accomplishment in harvesting something they can later eat. Picking yardlong beans together can turn into a joyful outdoor activity, encouraging curiosity about how vegetables grow and inspiring healthy eating habits.

Once picked, yardlong beans are wonderfully versatile in the kitchen. Their crisp texture and fresh flavor can brighten up a variety of dishes. Here are two easy recipes to try at home:

1. Stir-Fried Yardlong Beans with Garlic

Ingredients:

300g yardlong beans, trimmed and cut into 5cm pieces

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat.

Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.

Toss in the yardlong beans and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, until crisp-tender.

Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Stir well.

Serve immediately as a side dish or over steamed rice.

2. Yardlong Bean Salad with Peanut Dressing

Ingredients:

250g yardlong beans, blanched and chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp honey

1 tsp sesame oil

Optional: sliced chili for extra heat

Instructions:

In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, honey, and sesame oil to make the dressing.

Toss the chopped yardlong beans in the dressing until evenly coated.

Sprinkle with crushed peanuts and chili slices if desired.

Serve chilled or at room temperature for a refreshing, crunchy salad.

Picking your own yardlong beans and enjoying them in these simple recipes is a wonderful way to connect with nature and bring fresh, vibrant flavors to your table. Perfect for families, garden enthusiasts, or anyone who loves fresh, hand-picked vegetables!

Biokiosk Uitgeest

fruit

noord-holland

Jordens Flora en Fauna B.V. is a mixed organic/ecological agricultural business in Heemskerk. They strive for small-scale and sustainable production without chemicals or fossil fuels, with regional sales and corporate social responsibility as their goals. The company grows vegetables and palm trees and keeps sheep and laying hens. Consumers can purchase fresh organic free-range eggs directly from the organic kiosk on the farm. Fresh strawberries are available from May to October. Seasonally, tomatoes, bell peppers, yardlong beans, and palm trees are also available. The company strives for a closed-loop system and minimizes waste by feeding crop residues to the sheep and composting the rest. Chickens are used for snail and weed control. Reuse is key, for example, by giving rope from the riding arena a second life and reusing strawberry boxes. The company also offers agritourism/accommodation and daytime activities in ““De Pluktuin”” (The Pick-a-Look Garden).

Wereldgroente Tuintjes

vegetables

noord-holland

Wereld Groente Tuintjes, located on the Osdorperweg in Amsterdam, offers garden plots in an unheated greenhouse (cold kas) to rent. Renting a plot gives you a longer growing season compared to outdoor gardening. During the warmer months, you can grow exotic vegetables such as sopropo, kousenband (yardlong beans), and aubergine until early November. As temperatures drop, the farm shifts to more local produce like cabbage, sprouts, and fresh herbs. A 25m² plot costs €64 per month, and you can rent multiple plots. Yearly contracts are used.