Stove Steaming

• Steam snap beans on the stove for full flavor. Raw snap beans should be placed in a small amount of water, about a cup of water per cup of beans. Cook over high heat, and keep a lid on the pot. The steam from the boiling water will cook the snap beans. The appropriate amount of time to steam snap beans in this manner is between five and 10 minutes. The beans should still be quite firm when the steaming is finished.
  
  

Microwave Steaming

• Steam snap peas in the microwave in the same manner. Place them in a microwaveable dish with a cup of water in the bottom. Use one cup of water per two cups of raw beans. Cook the snap beans for no more than five minutes in the microwave.
  
  

Steamer

• You also could use a steamer. This is a small appliance can be purchased at discount stores, department stores or cooking stores. Follow the directions on the steamer, which will tell you how many beans to steam at once, and whether water is used in that particular steamer. For most traditional steamers, snap beans should be steamed for five to 10 minutes.
  
  

Know When They Are Done

• Snap beans should remain crisp, even after they have been steamed. The softer a snap bean gets, the more nutrients are lost in the bean. Check your snap beans in the steamer, microwave or stove after about three minutes of steaming. If they have started to get soft, you have cooked them too long.
  
  Snap beans that are steamed also should retain their color. Do not add butter or any spices to your steamed snap beans. The point of steaming snap beans is to cook them only a little bit, to eat them essentially raw, which preserves the flavor.