[JayG]

Some of us who are, ahem, not new to eating runner beans have been known to wonder whether some (if not most) of the traditional runner bean flavour disappeared along with the stringiness when the mere handful of old varieties were selectively bred to produce the dozens of new varieties available now.

I do find "White Lady" to be one of the better "new" varieties for flavour, but although the beans are impressively string-free (unless left for far too long on the plant) I still don't think they have the same taste as I seem to remember Scarlet Emperor having, for instance.

I'm particularly interested in finding out what people think about the taste of new "fully self-pollinating" runners (Moonlight and Firestorm) having discovered that they are actually a cross between runner and French beans. 

[gavinjconway]

Sorry JayG cant help you there... I have about 6 types and when I pick I mix them all up, top n tail, blanch and freeze.. The mix I think makes for a good all round flavour as each one will be a bit different..

[mumofstig]

I'm growing White Lady and trialling Firestorm and Moonlight, and find taste-wise no difference between them. They're all lovely 

I don't remember the runners my Dad used to grow having a stronger taste - but I do remember them being stringy a lot of the time  So I guess I'm a convert.

I think it's worth adding a bit of slightly off-topic info :-
The only difference I'm finding between White Lady and the other 2 is that she has branched lower down after pinching out and the others haven't. So I suspect that WL will continue to crop after the other 2 have finished.
The Firestorm and Moonlight set nearly every flower, so are giving a good early yield, whereas, if I'm proved right, WL will catch up by cropping later IYSWIM 

[heygrow]

I'm also growing white lady this year and they're lovely!
Last couple of years I grew Lady Di and these were also great. No noticeable difference in taste and both stringless and produced well.

[m1ckz]

white lady here too/great flavour an stringless

[snow white]

White Lady and Polestar.  Polestar seems more vigorous in growth but it doesn't translate into more beans.  They all taste the same to me - delicious!

[Totty]

Stenner for me this year, will be next year and the year after that. They produce heavy heavy crops of predominantly long straight beans. Bent ones that are skinny at the top and fill out with beans after growing a couple of inches just annoy me and are a pain to prepare in the kitchen in comparison. Taste is also excellent, as its an improved enorma type.

Totty

[seaside]

Taste-wise I don't think any of the present runner beans are as good as in the past but that might just be by jaded palate or faulty memory. However, those thoughts apply only to the green sliced runner. I grow my runners for the pods, yes,  but also for the podded beans themselves which I eat green and then mainly blanche and freeze for stews etc.
Last year it was the turn of Firestorm to impress me, and I have to say the podded beans themselves were absolutely delicious, even bettering my usual favourite broad beans. The best and creamiest runners I have ever tasted, and of course it was a big crop given the self-fertile nature. Unfortunately, I relied this year on planting self-saved Firestorm seeds from last year, and a few of the older pods themselves are slightly stringy I feel, and the self-fertile thing seems to have vanished, so it is looking as if I'll have to buy them next year, rather than save seed.

[Sparkyrog]

I have to agree with JayG I don't think the flavour is as good as it used to be (or am I just turning in to an old fart )

[JayG]

I prefer the words "refined and discriminating" Sparky (i.e. we are both refined and discriminating old farts!  )

[Sparkyrog]

 

[crh75]

Are you a member of the heritage seed library and have you tried any of their varieties?

[JayG]

If you meant me, the answer is "no" and "no" Crh75. 

Two reason really (apart from the fact that the idea has never really crossed my mind!) - rightly or wrongly I think of the heritage varieties as the ones which had the best flavour, but also the most stringiness, the other is that runner beans so readily cross pollinate with other beans that (like my not-all-white-flowered-any-more White Lady this year) I doubt whether it would be possible to keep the variety true beyond the first year.

Guess I'm just expecting too much - if one characteristic has to take second place, I must admit I don't like stringy beans!

I might well try one of the "self-pollinating" varieties next year just to find out how much they taste of Runner, and how much of French beans! 

[mumofstig]

IMO not at all of French beans 
That's why I've tried both sorts this year so I could compare the 2.
I'm enjoying mine and don't think there's any detectable difference in the taste of Moonlight and White Lady 

Firestorm, the other runner/French cross is setting well but I won't grow it again as it has many more fat/short beans than either of the other 2 

[JayG]

Thanks Mum, will make a mental note of that, filed under "Moonlight, interesting RB to try next year" (on second thoughts I'd better add a note in my gardening spreadsheet!)