Yardlong Beans: The Best Bean for Hot Summers

Most beans quit in the low desert by June. This one's just getting started. It's the most productive thing in my summer garden right now and I'll show you how to grow it, when to plant it, and how to harvest and cook these tasty beans. Gardening in the desert can be tricky. Even something that's supposed to be easy like regular green beans can be a challenge here. They don't love the heat and they give up when it gets hot, whether or not you got much of a harvest. I planted bush, pole, and asparagus beans at the same time right here as companion plants. The bush and pole beans gave me a quick harvest but now they're done. Look at those crispy leaves. The heat got them. But the asparagus beans, they're just getting going. They're climbing, flowering, and giving me a harvest almost every day. That's because asparagus beans are a different type of bean. They're built for heat and humidity. We'll hopefully get that humidity with the monsoon and that's actually when you'll see them pick up production even more as that monsoon moisture comes in. They're actually a relative of cowpeas from the tropics of Southeast Asia. Regular snap beans drop their flowers once it gets above the mid-80s but these keep setting fruit right through it. They've got deeper roots and a waxy coating on the leaves that holds in moisture so they handle our heat in a way regular green beans just can't. If you've been disappointed by regular bean harvests, give asparagus beans a try. Look how big these are. The real question though is how do they taste? I'll tell you and I'll show you. The first thing people always ask is whether they're actually good to eat or just a novelty because they're so long. They're good but they do taste different from a regular green bean. A regular green bean is juicy and snappy when it's raw. An asparagus bean is denser and a little drier with a nuttier flavor. They're fine. I don't love them raw but cooked is where they're really good. They hold their texture instead of getting soft and mushy so they're perfect for stir fries, sautés, anything quick over high heat. They soak up the flavor of whatever you cook them with. These pods are so long that a handful fills a pan. I'll show you exactly how I cook them at the end of the video. It's an easy recipe I use all summer. For now let's just get into how to grow them starting with when to plant here in the low desert. Timing is a big part of success with these. Here in the low desert you can plant asparagus beans anywhere from mid March through July but that timing within the window really makes a difference. You want to get them in before it gets really hot or plant them when we get the monsoon humidity. It's tough for them to get going when it's very hot and dry. This is my low desert planting guide. It's got the planting dates for everything through the year not just beans. I'll leave a link below if you want it. No matter where you live wait until your soil is above 60 degrees to plant. If you put them in cold soil the seeds will just sit there and rot. Plant seeds about an inch deep and three inches apart. If you're growing them up a pole plant four to six seeds around the base of each one. There are a lot of different varieties. Try several and see what you like. I like python and red noodle. Seeds are the most economical way to go and they germinate quickly in warm soil but I've also been surprised by how well transplants do. So if you're waiting on your soil to warm up or you come across a few transplants don't be afraid to use them. I picked these up at Arizona Worm Farm. One more tip if roly-polys are eating your bean seedlings sprinkle a little slug and snail bait around them the iron phosphate kind. It keeps the seedlings from disappearing. These beans are climbers and they'll climb up as far as you let them. Get creative with what you already have. I've grown them up ladder mesh block, up these arch trellises, on my fryer trellis, all of it works. They do get really tall. Once they reach the top of your trellis you can snip the top to keep it in bounds. I need to do that more often because mine always end up a tangled mess right at the top of the arch. If you stay on top of pinching the tops they'll stay a lot more manageable or just untangle them the best you can. Once they're climbing you'll start to see blossoms form and you'll know the beans are coming soon. Look for the blossoms. The beans form right off of those little flowering stems and the same stem keeps producing over and over. When you go to pick be gentle. Twist the bean off carefully and leave that stem intact because it will keep setting new beans for you in the same spot. If you just snap the whole stem off you lose all of that future production. Try to pick them at the right time. If you pick them too young they're kind of limp. You want them firm and about the thickness of a pencil. That's when they taste the best. Once they start to feel spongy you've waited too long. They get tough and not good tasting past that point. Check your plants often. In the heat you'll need to harvest every day. You don't have to use them every day but try to harvest every day so you catch them at the right stage. If you're not ready to cook them yet store them in the fridge wrapped in a damp paper towel in an airtight container and they'll hold until you've got enough or you're ready to use them. You can also let a few pods stay on the plant and fully mature. They'll dry out right there on the vine. Save those dried beans as seed for next season or cook them like any other dried bean. That way you get a harvest now and next year's seeds for free. Now that we've got a basket full of these let me show you the quick way I cook them all summer. These are the yard-long beans we just picked. Because they're denser and hold less water than a regular green bean they hold up to quick high heat cooking. That's what we're doing here. First cut them into pieces about three inches long. Make sure they're dry before they go on the pan because if they're wet they'll spit in hot oil. Get a couple of tablespoons of oil good and hot. Something with a high smoke point like avocado. Then add the beans. Let them sit without stirring for about a minute. You want them to blister and pick up some brown spots. That's what helps them soak up the sauce. Then turn the heat down add the garlic and ginger. A quick toss just so you can smell them. Now a splash of soy sauce, a little pinch of sugar, and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Turn the heat off right after the sesame oil so it doesn't burn. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top and that's it. I wish you could smell it. It smells so good. So that blistered skin is just soaking up all of the yummy flavors the ginger and the garlic. Oh it's nutty savory. It is so so good and they're still nice and firm. Great texture and I love the little kick that you get from the sesame seeds. It's a perfect touch. You've got to grow these so you can make this. You'll love it. That's why I keep growing these every summer. They produce right through the heat. They cook up into a quick meal and if you've been let down by green beans in the heat give asparagus beans a try. Every summer the heat decides what stays and what goes. The trick is to grow more of what actually likes it. I'd love to hear from you. Have you grown asparagus beans before? Tell me how you cook them. I'm always looking for new ways to use them. These are one of the few things still growing strong in my garden right now but they aren't the only one. If you want to see what else keeps producing through a desert summer watch my summer champions video right here. I'll show you what's still earning its spot when everything else has given up.