Yardlong Beans ‘Red Noodle’

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Eye-catching and tasty, yardlong beans are a heat-loving crop that does exceptionally well in Oklahoma summers. Give them a pole or trellis as tall as you can reach, and they’ll top it! Or try growing them on arches* for an enchanting effect.

To plant: plant the whole pot in a sunny spot, next to a pole or trellis as they are vigorous climbers. Don’t remove the biodegradable pot, or break the pot apart to plant seedlings individually; beans don’t like having their roots disturbed.

Red Noodle is a high-yielding variety, and the burgundy color of the pods makes them easy to spot on the vine and harvest. Harvest at 16-20” length, when the pod is partially filled out but still crinkly. Pods that are completely filled out and smooth will be tough. Harvest frequently! 90 days seed to harvest.

Unlike green beans, the biggest danger with yardlong beans is undercooking them. Yardlongs are chewier and denser than green beans, and delicious when well-cooked. A summer favorite at my house! See recipes below.

*We use a 4’ x 16’ cattle panel, curved to form an arch about 6’ wide at the base and tall enough to walk under. T-posts or rebar pounded into the ground at the base of each side of the arch keep the cattle panel secure and in place. We plant seeds along each side of the arch and let the vines grow up and meet at the top. By mid-summer, the vines have covered the arch, providing a shady spot underneath, and the beans hang down thru the top, making for an easy harvest.

Allen’s Yardlong Beans

We eat yardlongs all summer long. Here’s our go-to recipe. 

Heat up some oil and stir fry some chopped onion until caramelized. You can add chopped garlic, ginger, sweet red pepper and/or hot peppers as well. Once onions have caramelized, set aside.

Turn up the heat, add more oil, and just before it starts to smoke, toss in the chopped yard long beans. This seals in the flavor and makes them crispy rather than soggy. Cook over medium-high heat stirring frequently until they are well-cooked and slightly blackened. They’ll look like they’ve been grilled. Add caramelized onions, cook for another minute, turn off the heat and add a dash of Braggs or balsamic vinegar.

Yard Long Beans with Sweet Potatoes & Coconut Milk

Recipe adapted from www.seriouseats.com. I used sweet potatoes instead of kabocha squash, deleted the curry, turmeric, galangal and ginger (none on hand), and skipped the shrimp paste (I’m vegetarian), but other than that I followed the recipe (almost) exactly and it was quite yummy! The yard long beans and sweet potatoes are a great combination. 

1 pound yard-long beans, cut into 2-inch slices
1/4 pound sweet potatoes, cubed into 1/2 inch segments
1 tablespoon curry powder, optional
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons cooking oil or lard
1-inch piece galangal or ginger, crushed and sliced
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1/2 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the kabocha, curry powder if you’re using, galangal, and turmeric to the pot and stir-around, letting the cubes of squash lightly brown. Add the shrimp paste and cook for a minute longer.

Add the beans and cook for another 2 minutes, until the beans are lightly browned.

Add the coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) to the pot and let the liquid simmer for 20 minutes, until the beans and squash are tender but not mushy. Serve warm.