Keep in touch and happy 2008 harvest!

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?

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.

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?