Black Eyed Peas - This is the culture of the legume family belonging to the sugar variety. Asparagus beans have other names, such as green, green or sugar. There are more than 90 species of this culture, differing in flowering time and the shape of inflorescences. In the beans of asparagus beans there is no parchment layer, which allows you to eat the whole pod whole. A characteristic feature of this product is that it does not absorb harmful substances from the environment, like other vegetable crops.
Asparagus beans: chemical composition and nutritional value
In comparison with the shelling beans, the capsicum is not so rich in protein, but it contains much more vitamins than any other. Asparagus beans contain in its composition vitamins (A, B, C, E), minerals and trace elements (iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, etc.), as well as folic acid. This composition makes the beans not only tasty, but also extremely useful dietary product. Its nutritional value is only 47 kcal per 100 g: 2.8 g of proteins, 0.4 g of fat, 8.4 g of carbohydrates. String beans contain less fiber than other legumes, so that they are quickly and easily digested.
Did you know? The homeland of green beans is South and Central America. People have long known about the beneficial properties and nutritional qualities of this vegetable. For example, the ancient Romans not only used beans in cooking, but also used it as a cosmetic product — they prepared decorative powder that softened the skin of the face and smoothed wrinkles. And the Egyptian beauty Cleopatra made a face mask of crushed dry pods of asparagus beans. In Europe, the beans came in the XVI century, when European navigators brought it from South America. After some time, the beans appeared in the Russian Empire, where it was called "French beans" and used for decorating gardens and flower beds. They began to eat food only at the beginning of the 18th century.
Useful properties of asparagus beans
Due to the rich content of vitamins and minerals, asparagus beans bring many benefits to the human body. Due to the combined action of folic acid, magnesium and potassium, it helps prevent the occurrence of a heart attack. The product contributes to the rapid recovery of the body during SARS and rheumatism. Due to the high content of iron, which promotes the formation of red blood cells, the vegetable is recommended for use during anemia. 
The benefits of asparagus beans for the body is, in addition to all the beneficial effects on the nervous system. Having a calming effect, the vegetable is used as an anti-depressant product: it has long been observed that people who lean on green beans are more resilient and have a healthy sleep. It is shown the use of such beans and people with diabetes. The vegetable contains arginine, which acts as insulin, lowering blood sugar levels. A good diuretic is another thing that helps asparagus beans. It removes excess salt and fluid from the body, helping to overcome gout and urolithiasis.
How to use asparagus beans for the treatment of ailments
Asparagus juice is an excellent tool to relieve the painful chronic disease of bursitis. To get rid of pains in the joints and tendons, take 150 g of fresh green bean juice every day and several times a week you should prepare dishes from it.
There are recipes using dried bean pods that help in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The benefits of green beans are that it reduces the level of sugar and neutralizes the swelling inherent in people suffering from diabetes. You need to grind 50 g of crushed dry pods, pour boiling water (400 ml) and insist overnight. Then strain and drink 120 g for 20 minutes. before meals. You can also pour four spoons of crushed pods with a liter of cold water and leave for 8 -10 hours. Then strain and take 1 glass before a meal.
There are also combined recipes in the fight against diabetes, such as blueberry leaves. Dried bean pods and leaves of bilberry (3 teaspoons) pour 0.5 liters of boiling water, bring to a boil in a water bath, cool and infuse for two hours. Strain and take 120 g for 15-20 minutes before eating. People suffering from obesity should include asparagus beans in their daily menu, replacing potato and pasta dishes with it.
The use of asparagus beans in cooking
Asparag beans are widely used in cooking and are especially appreciated by those who watch their weight and adhere to the principles of healthy eating. The taste of the asparagus bean is best preserved if it is cooked no later than three days after harvest. Store fresh beans in the refrigerator for several days. For harvesting for the winter, you can also freeze the beans, so it will retain all its useful and nutritional properties, and the taste will not lose anything fresh. Asparagus beans are prepared both separately, as a separate dish, and in combination with other products. Boiled beans are used in salads, soups, scrambled eggs, omelettes, sauces, as well as a side dish for meat, fish and seafood. 
Young beans are cooked very quickly - about 5-6 minutes, not quite young pods will cook a little longer (10 minutes), and also differ in taste. Before cooking, the beans should be well washed in running cold water, cut off the ends and cut in half or into several parts. Also, experienced chefs advise you to soak the green beans for a day before cooking, in order to compensate for the lost moisture.
Important! When cooking, you can not digest asparagus beans, otherwise it may lose its vitamins and minerals.
Asparagus beans can be stewed, cooked in a slow cooker, cook for a couple, fry and bake. To cook the bean stew, you need to pour into a deep frying pan 1 tbsp. l favorite vegetable oil, add finely chopped onion, a glass of broth (vegetable, meat, fish) and simmer for 25 minutes. At the end add the butter to taste. To fry the green beans, heat the griddle with vegetable oil over medium heat, place the beans.
Salt and stir constantly. When the beans are soft and tender, you need to turn off the fire and sprinkle it with grated cheese, chopped garlic and chopped greens. You can make an easy and quick salad of asparagus beans: boil the product simply with a sauce of lemon juice, favorite vegetable oil, salt and pepper.
Can harm the use of asparagus beans
The use of green beans primarily benefits and has a beneficial effect on the body, but the product may harm some people.. You can not use beans for those who have exacerbations of chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, as well as colitis, cholecystitis. It is not recommended to abuse the beans to older people who have problems with the work of the intestine.
Methods of harvesting and storage of asparagus beans
To keep this healthy and dietary product as long as possible or to harvest beans for the winter, you can preserve it, pickle it and freeze it. It is recommended to preserve young asparagus beans, because the fresher it is, the healthier and tastier it is. For such a billet, you need to cut the beans into 3 cm pieces, lower it for 5-6 minutes. in boiling water, fold in a colander and spread on banks, previously sterilized. 
Prepare the marinade from 1 liter of water and 50 g of salt, pour it into cans of beans, cover with lids and sterilize in a container of boiling water for about half an hour. After that, pour 1 teaspoon of 80% vinegar into each jar and close it with the sealing key. To cook pickled green beans for the winter, bay leaves, red hot peppers, cinnamon, cloves, spices to taste and salt marinade are needed, as in the previous recipe.
Pods pre-boil for five minutes and drain in a colander. In each jar lay out a bay leaf, spices to taste, a piece of cinnamon, cloves, hot pepper, put the beans on top. Then pour boiling salted marinade and sterilize in boiling water for 5 minutes. After that, close the cans with a zakazateny key You can freeze the asparagus beans. If the freezing is done correctly, the beans will retain their appearance, structure and useful qualities until the next season. 
To prepare the beans for freezing, it is necessary to cut off the ends of the pods and stalks. After rinsing with plenty of cold running water and dry, throwing it on a colander or paper napkins. It is best to use special vacuum bags or containers from which air is pumped out to freeze. So the billet will have a crumbly shape and better preserved. After packing in packages, send the beans to the freezer.
