Beans should be firm and should snap when bent in half. You will want to peel away the fibrous strip along the edge (simply snap off the end and slowly pull the fibrous strip). This is actually quite important to do with the local green beans.

Fill the steam basket with the washed beans and place a lid on the pot. Turn the heat on to high and allow the water to come up to a boil (about 3 minutes). The beans will change colour from purple to green as they cook and should be ready after about 5mins