Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing

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shokkyy

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Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« on: August 10, 2012, 21:33 »
It looks like I'm about to have the mother of all runner bean crops, they're just getting to be big enough to pick. I want to either dry or freeze a lot of them, because it's far too many to eat and this year I'm determined to be better at preserving my crops instead of giving them away. Whether I freeze or dry, I need to chop them up and that's going to take quite a long time, so I'm thinking of buying one of those rotary slicing gadgets.

I spotted the Kitchencraft Auto Bean Slicer, which seems to do the job. Anybody got one of these? Are they any good?

And has anybody tried drying runner beans rather than freezing them? Which method is going to give me beans that are nicest to eat after defrosting/rehydrating? I'm thinking of side veg rather than chucking them in casseroles as fillers.

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madcat

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2012, 17:48 »
ahh yes ...  my MIL had one like that.  Works great on long slim straight beans provided you like your beans in very long thin slices.  which she said she did.  I like mine shorter and fatter so there is some texture to my beans ..  so didn't get on with it very well and gave it away.  But mechanically it worked fine - a matter of taste I suppose.
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Aunt Sally

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2012, 17:53 »
Runner beans should always be cut in diamond shapes.  Nothing else is right  :ohmy:

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sunshineband

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2012, 18:11 »
Runner beans should always be cut in diamond shapes.  Nothing else is right  :ohmy:

I quite agree  :D
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shokkyy

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2012, 18:14 »
No, the slicer I was looking at does the little diagonal slices, they call them French slices. Is that what you mean by diamond?

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arugula

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2012, 18:22 »
I would say so. :)
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Aunt Sally

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2012, 18:46 »

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shokkyy

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2012, 20:12 »
Yes, that's French slices. Did you do that lot by hand? If so, that's impressive, I usually get a lot more ragged than that after the tenth bean. My heart quailed at the thought of processing the big crop sitting on my plants at the moment all by hand, so when I saw the Kitchencraft widget it seemed like a really good idea.

Any thoughts on freezing versus drying?

PS Why are those slices, and the runner bean's skinnier cousin, named after the French? I didn't think they even ate runner beans much in France.

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Aunt Sally

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2012, 20:15 »
No, that's a picture off the internet - I usually do a lot more than that  :)

(but I don't photograph them ;) )

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Mrs Bee

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #9 on: August 13, 2012, 22:14 »
I like to get settled in the armchair with the beans and a giant bowl and spend a few hours listening to a dvd on the telly and prepare beans for the freezer or piccalli of bean chutney.

Quite theraputic and at least I get a sit down for a change. ::)

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shokkyy

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #10 on: August 13, 2012, 22:56 »
I like to get settled in the armchair with the beans and a giant bowl and spend a few hours listening to a dvd on the telly and prepare beans for the freezer or piccalli of bean chutney.

You've got a recipe for piccalilli made with runner beans instead of cauliflower or as well as? If instead of, can I have it or can you point me at the link? I adore piccalilli, about the only pickle I like because it's mustardy rather than vinegary, but I can't grow caulis to save my life, and there's just something wrong about buying veg to make pickles with.

I'd still rather have a widget to chop them up with though. How the heck can you do it on your lap? You must be better at chopping them I am, mine normally go whizzing all over the place.

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Mrs Bee

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2012, 10:09 »
I like to get settled in the armchair with the beans and a giant bowl and spend a few hours listening to a dvd on the telly and prepare beans for the freezer or piccalli of bean chutney.

You've got a recipe for piccalilli made with runner beans instead of cauliflower or as well as? If instead of, can I have it or can you point me at the link? I adore piccalilli, about the only pickle I like because it's mustardy rather than vinegary, but I can't grow caulis to save my life, and there's just something wrong about buying veg to make pickles with.

I'd still rather have a widget to chop them up with though. How the heck can you do it on your lap? You must be better at chopping them I am, mine normally go whizzing all over the place.

I just use my sharp paring knife. The time and beans soon go by. :D

Yes I  have recipes for a piccalli style courgettte and bean chutney, a bean chutney and a piccallilli that I have rejigged the ingredients to leave out cauliflower 'cos I don't think they add anything to it.. Although I do have to buy some ingredients as I make such a lot.

I will root the recipes out for you some time this evening. Just doing a quick computor check as I am off to see if I can negotiate supplying a local historic house with my preserves.

I will message you with the recipes as I don't want any of my locals to find my recipes andmake it instead of buying it from me. :D

Here's hoping.

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Aunt Sally

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #12 on: August 14, 2012, 10:42 »
It speeds things up even more if you use a potato peeler (oxo type) to take the string edges off the beans first.

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Willow_Warren

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #13 on: August 14, 2012, 16:36 »
It speeds things up even more if you use a potato peeler (oxo type) to take the string edges off the beans first.
Hum... interesting idea!

All I can see in my head is my mum using a knife very efficiently to, chop a little bit off the top, go down the side, then off with the little bit at the bottom and then slice into long diamonds (as someone has already mentioned) without ever putting the runner bean down!!  I'm not sure my knife skills will reach those levels, the loss of fingers is always an ongoing risk!

Looked up some runner bean cutters and they seemed to put them into strips, a strange concept to me...

H :)

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Aunt Sally

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Re: Runner bean slicer and drying or freezing
« Reply #14 on: August 14, 2012, 16:48 »

Looked up some runner bean cutters and they seemed to put them into strips, a strange concept to me...


And makes me shudder at the thought  :ohmy:



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