At first glance, you might think you are looking at a plate full of pasta, but that is actually yellow wax beans. A yellow wax bean is a green bean that has been designed to have none of the green pigments typical in common green beans. Yellow wax beans have a pale color of yellow similar to cornflower. It is a string-less pod and the flesh is translucent yellow. The legumes inside the shell are lime green.
Classification Information:
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Phaseolus
Species: P. vulgaris
Cultivar: varies
Yellow Wax Bean Trivia
- Beurre De Rocquencourt Bush Wax bean is a famous heritage yellow wax bean variety, believed to be the one that made yellow wax bean popular in the 20th century.
- The development of the yellow wax beans from the 18th to the 20th century stemmed from the Algerian wax bean.
- The Algerian wax bean is the oldest known cultivar still in production.
- Different cultivars have different shades of yellow and varying waxiness.
Yellow Wax Bean Buying Guide
When buying yellow wax beans, the most important thing to look out for is the color. Any discoloration suggests the vegetables are not of good quality. If you want to buy yellow wax beans, you can buy these loose so you can choose how many you would like to buy. Sometimes these are sold in bundles. If you pass by the canned good section of the grocery, you may want to check if there are canned yellow wax beans on the shelf.
It is convenient to buy yellow wax beans because these are available year-round. It is plenty during the peak of harvest season which is around mid-summer to early fall.
Here are some of the common varieties:
Yellow Wax Bean Varieties (Pole beans) Gold
- Nectar
- Grandma Nellie’s Yellow Mushroom
- Kentucky Wonder Wax
- Marvel of Venice
- Monte Gusto
Yellow Romano Yellow Wax Bean Varieties (Bush beans)
- Brittlewax Bush Snap Bean
- Cherokee Wax Bush Snap Bean
- Golden Butterwax Bush Snap Bean
- Goldrush Bush Snap Bean
- Pencil Pod Black Wax Bean
Yellow Wax Bean Production & Farming in Texas
Like the green bean which is a warm-season vegetable crop, the yellow wax bean can grow in Texas. If you are buying yellow wax beans for planting and not for eating, keep in mind that there are bush yellow wax bean and pole yellow wax beans which needs a vertical surface for climbing. Make sure you plant them in a space that receives a lot of sunlight. The ideal time of the year for planting yellow wax beans is during the spring.
Pesticides:
Growers should watch out for common pests like aphids and spider mites. These pests are known to terrorize yellow wax bean plants.
Aphids – Kills aphids using neem oil, insecticidal soap, or horticultural oil. You can also use the pesticide malathion, which is the most commonly used organophosphate insecticide in the United States, or rotenone, a selective, non-specific insecticide typically used in home gardens for insect control.
Spider mites – To get rid of spider mites, use neem oil and apply it through foliar spraying. It contains azadirachtin which is effective against spider mites. You can also use horticultural oil (which also targets aphids and thrips). Pests die after exposure to horticultural oil due to suffocation since the oil blocks the spiracles through which insects breathe. Another effect of horticultural oils is disrupting the metabolism of insect eggs. Lastly, horticultural oils disrupt the insect’s ability to feed. As a result, the insect starves to death. Using pyrethrin spray is also an effective method against spider mites. Another option is spinosad, a mixture of two chemicals called spinosyn A and spinosyn D typically used to control a wide variety of pests.
Geography:
The ancestors of the yellow wax bean are native to Central America and South America. But it was Algeria that introduced yellow wax beans to many different regions in the world.
Packaging:
Processed yellow wax beans are sold in tin cans, glass jars (small-batch, home-made products by small, local businesses), and plastic packs. The label usually says cut wax beans.
Enjoying Yellow Wax Beans
If you haven’t tried eating yellow wax beans, don’t be afraid that it may have some weird taste or flavor. Actually, the absence of chlorophyll that makes this type of green bean yellow has no effect whatsoever on the taste. It still tastes like green beans! It has a sweet and earthy, grassy flavor. When you eat yellow wax beans, you will notice that they are crisp, succulent, tender, and firm, assuming the ones you are eating are harvested correctly, which is when the beans are young.
Storage:
You can store yellow wax beans in the refrigerator or freezer. Use a plastic bag or container. Make sure you do not store it there for longer than 8 months. Make sure it remains sealed while in the refrigerator or freezer. Once you take them out for cooking, make sure to rinse them thoroughly first.
Cooking:
You can eat yellow wax beans raw. If you want to cook yellow wax beans, you can steam them, roast them, boil them, or sauté them in butter. You can blanch it with vinaigrette or use other kinds of sauces like brown butter or béchamel. Yellow wax beans are excellent if you are having poached lobster, tuna, or roasted pork belly. You can also have it along with potatoes, shallots, and other herbs – Italian parsley, chervil, and tarragon are ideal.
If you are cooking a dish that uses French beans, green beans, or purple beans, you can use yellow wax beans as a substitute. Don’t be surprised if you notice the flavor of yellow wax beans stand out, unlike the more subtle taste of other beans when mixed in salads. Yellow wax beans are great if aesthetics is important in your cooking. Green beans have the tendency to turn to an unpalatable shade of green when it is cooked very long, whereas yellow wax beans generally retain their golden yellow color even after a long cooking time.
Nutritional Benefits:
Yellow wax beans are rich in carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and protein. Yellow wax beans are a great choice for people who want to eat low-calorie food. Yellow wax beans are also a good source of fiber. This helps maintain heart and digestive health.
