Found a bag of green beans with a few brown spots in the grocery store, or maybe spotted some brown spots on your fresh green beans when preparing them for dinner?
Fortunately, green beans with brown spots are safe to eat as long as they’re not accompanied by other signs of spoilage such as an off smell, sliminess, or a soft or mushy texture. If the brown spots are small and limited to a few beans you can remove the affected areas and still consume them.
In this article, I’ll go over the several reasons why green beans may develop brown spots, when to avoid them, and how to store them properly to prevent them from spoiling.
What Causes Brown Spots In Green Beans?
Green beans may develop brown spots for several reasons— the most common being aging.
Unfortunately, as the beans lose moisture and nutrients over time, they begin to develop yellow and brown spots, a process that occurs because the cells inside the beans break down and the pigments that give them their green color start to fade.
This is a natural process that transpires with every vegetable, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the green beans are spoiled or inedible, unless it’s accompanied by other signs of spoilage.
Green beans also turn brown from being far too exposed to heat, sunlight, or air.
These factors accelerate the natural breakdown of cells inside the beans, causing them to develop brown spots over time. Another factor that also accelerates this process is bruising or rough handling, though the brown spots tend to be more localized, so it’s generally fine to eat the beans as long as you remove the brown parts.
Pest infestations such as by aphids or thrips can also cause green beans to develop brown spots. These pests can damage the beans by feeding on their plant tissue and injecting toxins that lead to a quicker breakdown of the cells and consequently, a more rapid development of brown spots and eventually rot.
For instance, the symptoms of bean mosaic virus (BMV) can include yellow or brown mottling or mosaic patterns on the leaves, stunted or distorted growth, and reduced yields. A severe case of this virus causes the green beans to become discolored or even to turn brown.
Anthracnose, on the other hand, is a fungal disease that can also be characterized by dark, sunken lesions on the leaves, stems, and pods of the plant. Like the previous disease, a more severe case involves discovered or brownish beans.
If your green bean plants are impacted by these diseases, it’s always best to remove the affected plants to prevent the disease from spreading throughout the crop.
However, this is only relevant if you’re growing your own veggies. If you’re just getting your green beans from the fresh produce aisle in the supermarket, this isn’t something you should worry about. Since I often consume home-grown green beans, it’s good to keep an eye out for potential symptoms of diseases.
Do Brown Spots Mean The Beans Are Inedible?
Green beans with brown spots may indicate that the beans are beginning to spoil or that they have been damaged in some way. However, they’re not necessarily inedible.
If the brown spots are accompanied by other signs of spoilage such as an off smell, sliminess, or a soft or mushy texture, it is likely that the beans have gone bad and should be discarded.
However, if the brown spots are small and isolated and the beans are otherwise firm and crisp, they may be simply a result of the beans getting external damage.
This could be caused by bruising, insect damage, or other factors. In this case, the beans may still be safe to eat, but it’s still a good idea to remove the damaged areas before cooking or consuming the beans.
How To Properly Store Green Beans
Depending on how long you wish to store them, there are two ways to go about it. If you want to consume them within the week, then the best way is to put them in the fridge.
To store them in the fridge, you can follow these steps:
- Rinse the green beans under cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel or clean cloth.
- Trim the ends of the beans.
- Place the green beans in a plastic bag or storage container with a tight-fitting lid. Avoid containers with holes or cracks, as this can allow air to circulate and cause the beans to spoil more quickly.
- If you are using a plastic bag, remove as much air as possible before sealing it. If you are using a storage container, leave a small amount of space at the top to allow for some circulation.
- Place the container or bag in the fridge, where the green bags will be able to stay fresh for up to a week.
If your goal is to extend the shelf life of your green beans, you can blanch them before storing them in the freezer.
Note: If you’re not aware of what blanching is, it’s a process by which you briefly boil your vegetables in water and plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process. This technique is often used to preserve the nutrients, color, texture, and flavor of vegetables.
To blanch your green beans and store them in the freezer, simply follow these steps:
- Fill a large pot of water and bring it to a boil.
- Rinse the green beans under cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel or a clean cloth.
- Trim the ends of the beans.
- Cook the green beans for 3-4 minutes, or until they’re bright red or tender-crisp.
- Remove the green beans from the boiling water and plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
- Drain the beans and pat them try once more (using whatever clean towel or cloth you may have).
- Place the green beans in a plastic bag or storage container and store them in the freezer for up to one year.
It’s important to store your green beans or vegetables in air-tight containers or plastic bags and remove as much air as possible before sealing them. If the green beans (or any other veggie) are exposed to air inside the freezer, they can also develop brown spots or discoloration from an effect called freezer burn.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why green beans develop brown spots, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re no longer edible, so you should always keep an eye out for other symptoms such as smell, texture, and appearance. If you’ve got fresh green beans and want to prevent them from spoiling (or getting dark spots), you should store them either in the fridge or the freezer in air-tight containers soon after you’re done with them.
