Les Haricots

When the English think of French beans they usually picture les haricots verts, the tender, slim green pods less than 15 cm (6 in) long. But le haricot vert has been bred to be like this and is just one of the larger family of French beans – phaseolus vulgaris – which gives a range of beans not only through the summer months but throughout the year. The season begins with les haricots verts. By nature their pods can become hard and stringy quite quickly so they have to be picked really young, though modern horticulture has bred stringless versions (sans fil). There are in addition les haricots mangetout which come with both green (vert) or yellow (known as beurre) pods which do not grow leathery or stringy as they develop. Their pods are flatter in form, and although they lack the strength of flavour of haricots verts, they can better survive heat and drought. Then there is a variety grown for its white bean inside the pod, usually dried for winter use – known correctly as les haricots blancs but more often just referred to as les haricots.