Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: cheshirecheese on September 19, 2012, 17:36

Title: Has-Beans??
Post by: cheshirecheese on September 19, 2012, 17:36
Oh dear ... left a neighbour in charge of watering the greenhouse and veg patch whilst we were away.  I'd told them to help themselves to the runner beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, etc., but other than watering, they'd obviously not been near.  I therefore have a crop of 'has-beans', i.e. large, stringy things, bulging with seed.  Is there any hope?  We had some with our supper last night, and even though I'd stringed them (I thought), they were tough as old boots.   >:(  I've made runner bean chutney in the past, but with more youthful specimens.  Any advice gratefully accepted .....  :D
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Aunt Sally on September 19, 2012, 17:37
They should make good compost ;)
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: DD. on September 19, 2012, 17:39
At least you've got next year's seed!
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: cheshirecheese on September 19, 2012, 17:40
Mmmm thanks guys!! Is there really nothing I can make them into (other than compst and string vests??)
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Kleftiwallah on September 19, 2012, 17:43

Collect the beans, dry them then have an "How many beans in the Bucket" competition down't pub for Charritteeee!  ::)

Cheers,    Tony.
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Mrs Bee on September 19, 2012, 19:04
You could shell them and eat the bean seeds as a steamed veg once you have kept some for planting next year.  Cook them in a tomato sauce with herbs and spices.

That's what I do with any of mine that have hidden under leaves and got too big.

How sad that they didn't have some of your lovely veg for their dinner.

I had the same deal with my friends  the last time we had a holiday and came back to bags and bags of beans Mary had frozen for me as there were to many for her to eat.

She is Greek and eats loads of veg but even she couldn't manage them all. :D
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Madame Cholet on September 19, 2012, 19:19
I simmered some in the slow cooker then pureed them for soup in the winter.
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: rowlandwells on September 19, 2012, 19:25
normally we have runner beans coming out our ears good grub for putting in the the freezer
but this year they are in very short supply of the Lottie  :(

we done better with broad beans this season some Lottie holders done better with there runners some you win some you loose  :mellow:
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Growster... on September 19, 2012, 20:11
I reckon that steaming/boiling the beans still makes them look that funny colour, and not really all that appetising!

We brought home about a pound of just beans (no pods), today, and I'd like to think we can get the pink/black husk off at some stage...

Mind you, Mrs G doesn't like them like that anyway, so at least I'll have a free hand, as long as those blasted skins disappear...
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Mrs Bee on September 19, 2012, 23:23
But the skins are a good source of roughage for the insides Growster :lol:
You can tell that by the rumblings they set  off  :lol:

I like them in barbeque type tomato sauce. That makes them look a little more appetising ;)
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Growster... on September 20, 2012, 05:07
But the skins are a good source of roughage for the insides Growster :lol:
You can tell that by the rumblings they set  off  :lol:

I like them in barbeque type tomato sauce. That makes them look a little more appetising ;)

That sounds promising Mrs B!

As long as that awful colour is disguised, then it's got to be worth a pop hasn't it!

Thanks for the idea!
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: mumofstig on September 20, 2012, 09:31
Grow white runners Growster, then the beans are..........................white  ::)
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: cheshirecheese on September 20, 2012, 14:16
I like the idea of soup, and also just using the beans dressed in a sauce.  I guess you can treat them pretty much like borlotti etc., so as well as Mrs B's bbq tomato sauce, perhaps they'd be good with a garlic and lemon dressing like I sometimes do with broad beans.  Mind you, that wouldn't do a lot to disguise the colour ... maybe we could just eat them blindfold!!!   ;)
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Mrs Bee on September 20, 2012, 18:55
Growster, you are welcome to any of my ideas my love.

Cheshire, I think the eating with a blindfold is a no go. You really don't want a fork up the nose do you. :lol: :lol:

Just use a a big dollop of something red instead. :lol:
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Growster... on September 20, 2012, 19:21
Grow white runners Growster, then the beans are..........................white  ::)

Mums, I have to admit that I didn't know that!

Silly really, but the last time I grew 'White Lady', Mrs G complained that she wanted REDrunners, and told me to get traditional again!

I may be on a loser here, as she a)Loves runners to be red - and lots and lots of them, and b)Doesn't care for eating just the left beans!

C'est la vie, je suppose...;0)
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Growster... on September 20, 2012, 19:24
I like the idea of soup, and also just using the beans dressed in a sauce.  I guess you can treat them pretty much like borlotti etc., so as well as Mrs B's bbq tomato sauce, perhaps they'd be good with a garlic and lemon dressing like I sometimes do with broad beans.  Mind you, that wouldn't do a lot to disguise the colour ... maybe we could just eat them blindfold!!!   ;)

That sounds great Cheshers, and rather tempting with the garlic etc, just say that I may pose the question with Mrs G at an opportune moment...;0)

I'm actually trying on the grunddfurldd aas wqe spleeks...[=*
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Mrs Bee on September 20, 2012, 20:05
Have been pondering the question of has beans and colours while eating supper and..... it came to me.

make a chilli with the beans and everthing will be brown chilli colour. ;)
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: cheshirecheese on September 21, 2012, 09:42
Cheshire, I think the eating with a blindfold is a no go. You really don't want a fork up the nose do you. :lol: :lol:

Now there's posh ... you use cutlery do you??!!!  :lol: :lol:
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Mrs Bee on September 21, 2012, 17:46
 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Yep, even with fish and chips.
Whilst I am happy to use fingers i have a son and OH who don't like to get fingers sticky.  :wacko:

OH even uses a fork for cakes :wacko:
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: SnooziSuzi on September 21, 2012, 19:44
I'm actually growing runner beans this year ONLY for the dried beans for chillies and soups - they are the same beans that are sold in tins as kidney beans
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: mumofstig on September 21, 2012, 21:18
My Spagna Blanca runnerbeans have huge beans inside, more like butter beans - I'm growing them to shell dry as well
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Growster... on September 22, 2012, 06:45
The dried beans we buy as butter beans usually shed their skins during the soaking and boiling, so perhaps that might happen if they were allowed to dry naturally, like we do next year's broad bean seed?

Mums, they sound marvellous too! Snoos, do you just lay 'em out to dry?
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: SnooziSuzi on September 22, 2012, 10:24
....Snoos, do you just lay 'em out to dry?

Well, this is the first year that I've tried this, so I was just going to play it by ear and let them mature on the plant and lay them out afterwards :lol:
Title: Re: Has-Beans??
Post by: Madame Cholet on September 23, 2012, 20:07
I grow a few borlottis to dry each year I shell them and lay on atray in the kitchen.