Green beans are the fruit of any unripe bean. They are picked while still immature and the inner bean is just beginning to form. Green beans contain tiny seeds within their pods. Unlike their close relatives, the black bean and the kidney bean, the green bean's entire pod, fruit, and seeds are all edible. They are in season from the middle of the Summer until early Fall and usually grow to about 4 inches long, though they can be longer.http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=134Fresh green beans should have smooth feel, firm texture and a vibrant green color. Whole unwashed green bean pods can be put in a plastic bag and stored in a refrigerator for up to 7 days. A serving size of green beans is suggested to be around a half a cup or 55 grams raw.http://nutrican.fshn.uiuc.edu/tables/Greenbeans.html

Other names for green beans are common beans, string beans, or snap beans. They are naturally low in calories and contain high amounts of Vitamins K, C and A. They can be eaten raw, but are commonly steamed, sauteed, or baked in casseroles. They come from herbaceous annual plants that are native to North and South America. The green bean was discovered around India and China in the 16th century and the French were the ones that made the vegetable common in restaurants.http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/vegetables/GreenBeans.htm

Green beans are native to North and South America and were brought back to Europe by Christopher Columbus and other Spanish explorers who had come to the "New Land." Leonhart Fuchs was the first European to every publish a description of the green bean 1543. By the 17th century the bean had spread and was being grown in many European countries.http://www.cliffordawright.com/caw/food/entries/display.php/topic_id/6/id/5/Today, green beans are produced throughout the world and are most prevalent in the United States, France, China, Japan, Spain, and Italy.http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=134