How to Trim Green Beans…Fast!

Breaking off the ends of green beans can take forever. Here’s a life-changing trick to quickly trimming a giant pile of green beans!

Have you ever had to deal with a large pile of green beans in order to prune them? Breaking off each end with your fingers can feel like an eternity! A recipe like our green bean casserole calls for 2 pounds of green beans, and that can seem downright daunting. Luckily, we have a quick and easy way to prune green beans quickly: it’s life-changing! (Well, if you eat a lot of green beans, of course.)

How to prune green beans: a tutorial

Here’s Alex and my method for trimming green beans. Remember, you can do it quickly: it doesn’t have to be perfect! Follow the guide below.

Step 1: Take a handful of beans and make an even pile.

Take about 15-20 beans and then put them on the cutting board. Work quickly and make an even stack with everyone lined up lengthwise. They don’t all have to be aligned the same way! Because you’re cutting both ends, they can be lined up in different ways.

Step 2: Line up all of the ends with the edge of your knife, then trim them off.

Make sure all of the ends of the beans are touching the edge of your knife. Then take them with one hand and cut off the ends with a knife.

Step 3: Reorient the beans and cut off the other ends.

Quickly flip the beans the other way, then slide them toward the blade of your knife so the other ends line up (see below). Then grab the stack and cut off the other ends.

Step 4: Cut the beans into bite-sized pieces (optional).

If your recipe calls for long beans (like our Roasted Green Beans), you can stop here. Or cut the beans into bite-sized pieces.

And that’s it! You’ll have green beans cut in no time.

Best chef knives and cutting boards

Alex and I are often asked about the best cookware. And every time we reply: “A good, well-sharpened chef’s knife! A good knife can greatly improve your time in the kitchen and last for years (we’ve had our chef’s knives for over 10 years). Here are some of the knives we recommend, along with cutting boards and the best knife sharpener. These recommendations are perfect for outfitting your own kitchen, or great gifts for a wedding registry or someone who loves to cook!

Video: Knife skills, equipment and how to hold a knife!

Green bean recipes

Now that you know how to trim green beans, here are some of our favorite green bean recipes to try: