[Growster...]

Does anyone de-pod the beans and also de-skin them individually these days?

I think the skin is as good as the kernel, but others may disagree...

[arugula]

Well, we grew them for the first time last year, as I thought I didn't like them.  I had seen them so often being prepared on cookery shows on TV into lovely looking dishes, so we grew them.

I did try both preparation methods: de-pod and de-skin or just de-pod and IMO the ones only de-podded but not de-skinned tasted like they did when I thought I didn't like them.

So its de-skinned for me to make them taste gorgeous made into risottos or teamed with ingredients such as bacon or black pudding *drool* and I think the de-skinning is quite faffy, which is one of the reasons we haven't grown them this year.

[Gandan57]

I have never de-skinned them so wouldn`t know what a skinless bean tastes like. I love them cooked or raw but maybe I need to take the skins off to "encourage" the OH to eat hers.

[mumofstig]

I think they are an 'acquired taste' with the skins on. They are a bit better with the skins off, but that's a faff to do and by then the yield per pod is tiny

So I won't be growing them again 

[arugula]

So I won't be growing them again 

Well done for trying though!

[mumofstig]

miss, miss...... do I get a sticker for trying? 

[arugula]

A gold star at least!

[Ice]

Unskinned in hot dishes and skinned in salads, lovely, can't grow enough.  Actually, I can't think of a veg I don't like, even brussels can be made palateable.

[Growster...]

That's all very interesting!

We've never de-skin 'em,because it never crossed our minds! I like the dried and salted ones, (when we can find them), but as MOS says, there's not much left at the end if you de-skin them, and anyway, the idea is to eat them when their not much bigger than peas -for most of the season anyway.

There will always be a few which get away in the end, and they have that great 'dry' flavour so loved by 'beanaholics' everywhere...

I may even squeeze in a late row after all this, I've got some space now, as we've been ravaged by carrot fly...

[LilacSandy]

Hi Growster,

Can you put them in this late in the season?  If so what variety please.

[arugula]

Hi Growster,

Can you put them in this late in the season?  If so what variety please.

Anyone can answer this: No, plant in the spring. Have a search round the grow your own board.

[Growster...]

Argyllie, can't you put a row down now?

I seem to recall that you could sow BBs when you'd lifted early spuds?

If I'm wrong, then 'so sorry' Lilacsandy, bit of a cockup on the catering front there...

[arugula]

If you haven't planted them yet, you'll have to wait for an over-winter planting.

RHS advice







Edit: spelling, what else?

[DD.]

I think they are an 'acquired taste' with the skins on. They are a bit better with the skins off, but that's a faff to do and by then the yield per pod is tiny

So I won't be growing them again 

I'm in 100% agreement here. Grew some "Aquadulce" we bought back from Heligan as we thought we ought to try them. Both Mrs Digger & I thought it may be a hang up we had from the leather jacketed ones from school days.

Ah well, at least the nodules fixed some nitrogen and the stems composted quickly.

[sunshineband]

Argyllie, can't you put a row down now?

I seem to recall that you could sow BBs when you'd lifted early spuds?

If I'm wrong, then 'so sorry' Lilacsandy, bit of a cockup on the catering front there...

Jumping in here --- you can plant BBs in early autumn ofr overwintering, but not yet