Harvesting Runner Beans from the Vegetable Garden.
Runner beans are ready to pick when they are about 20 cm long. The runner bean has bunches of flowers which mature at different rates. So each bean on the stalk is a different age. To harvest beans when they are ready, but not too old, the beans have to be picked every day. If the runner beans are too old when picked, they become fibrous and stringy, and unpleasant to eat. Also, the maturing beans will send a signal to stop further flowers being produced, so less beans will develop. It is important to pick runner beans daily, to keep the younger beans coming. Do not pick the beans as required, take them whether they are needed or not, and give them away if surplus to requirements.
- Pick the runner beans when they are about 20cm long.
- Use them as soon as possible, to get the very best flavour.
- Top and tail the runner bean.
- Cut a thin slice off the edge of the runner bean, which tends to be stringy. A potato peeler is useful for this job.
- Traditionally, runner beans were sliced into thin strips.
- The strips are then cut into 6cm pieces for cooking
- Runner beans can be quickly prepared for cooking with a sharp vegetable knife.
- Bean slicers are useful if the children want to help with preparing runner beans.
- The French bean slicer in the picture removes the outside string edges at the same time as slicing the runner beans match-stick thin.
Brilliant just what I needed to know! Off to pick soem runners
Comment by Ally - September 8, 2007 3:43 pm
Hi Ally
Glad it helped. Enjoy the beans!
TopVeg
Comment by TopVeg - September 8, 2007 6:31 pm
I love runner beans, but didn’t pick them every day, because I couldn’t eat all that I was picking and don’t like frozen beans as they tend to go a bit soggy when I cook them. I’ll make sure I do next year and just give away what I can’t eat.
I have a question for you, I’ve just de-poded my dried beans and have a silly amount of beans. Is it possible to cook and eat these in some way?
Comment by Colin - December 11, 2007 3:32 pm
Colin
I love dried runner beans, they are so attractive. Before you store them, dry them completely on an open tray, so the beans are not touching. They must not go mouldy.
They can be stored in screw topped jars, or frozen.
If the dried beans have just been picked, simmer them in unsalted water or stock, for 30 minutes or more, until soft.
If the beans have been dried & stored, soak them overnight in plenty of water. Rinse well and cook them in a large, covered pan using three times as much water as beans. Boil for 15 minutes, and then simmer gently until they are soft (takes 1 or 2 hours).
When dried beans have been soaked overnight, they should be boiled hard for 15 minutes and then simmered until soft, to prevent food poisoning, common from poorly cooked red kidney beans. The beans contain a toxic agent called phytohaemagglutinin, or lectin, which causes nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Add salt after cooking because if added during cooking it toughens the skins. Other herbs and spices can be added during cooking to add flavour.
If the dry beans have been frozen after harvest, cooking is easy. Just defrost and put them into a covered pan with a knob of butter, salt and pepper. Heat for five to ten minutes until the beans are tender, & eat immediately.
Once cooked the beans can be used whole, mashed or pureed, in casseroles, soups, patties, as a filling for tortillas or as sauce served over rice or pasta.
Comment by TopVeg - December 12, 2007 8:14 am
Hi TopVeg,
I think I’ll be keeping lots of beans next year, sounds like a good thickener in various dishes at the least.
I knew kidney beans could be a bit dodgy, but wasn’t aware runner beans were bad too. I’ve eaten them raw for years with no ill effects.
Oddly enough, I put one in water over night to see what it tasted like and it tasted pretty much the same as when I put it in the jar earlier in the year, if a little tougher.
Anyway good website. I found it by the BBC allotments website if you wondered.
Incidentally is it to late for me to vote for broad bean in favourite bean?
Comment by Colin - December 28, 2007 6:58 pm
Hi Colin
Thanks for the info - interesting to see that the flavour of your dried beans is good.
The results of the favourite bean poll are on http://topveg.com/2007/11/20/favourite-bean-poll-results/. Broad beans were second!
Keep in touch and happy 2008 harvest!
TopVeg
Comment by TopVeg - December 28, 2007 7:05 pm