[Sideways]

Hi all,

I have two questions on runner beans-
I’ve been picking them on my plot for a few weeks now, I’m not sure what the variety’s are, they're a mix of shop bought and what other plot holders gave me when I arrived last autumn.

My family and I have noticed that when we are eating the runner beans (after cooking) we find ourselves chewing on tough pieces of skin. The skin has a texture of thin plastic and is totally inedible, very unpleasant. It’s not on all the beans so I can’t work out if it is a variety thing or down to the age- I didn’t think I was picking them late or letting them grow too big. We are now using a Titan peeler to take the surface skin off the runner beans but some of the 'plastic' still gets through, we were already taking the side 'strings' off.

Has anyone else experienced the same? How do we avoid it? We have gone right off runner beans, which is a shame because there are loads on the plot  :blink:

Second question- If I were to leave the runner beans to grow, allowing the beans to become large, can I remove the beans and cook / eat them in the same way we do with broad beans? i.e., throw the skin away and eat the bean?

Thanks
 

[DD.]

Yes you can eat them, but make sure they are well cooked as they contain certain toxins that break down when boiled.

The tough bit could be down to the variety, possibly those passed on to you, they could have cross pollinated over the years and not have the characteristics of the parent seed.

Start with fresh seed next year and make sure you get a stringless variety. I'm thinking about starting with fresh seed next year, certainly my climbing French beans are not what they started out as, but nevertheless still tasty.

A lot of folk on here have recommended "White Lady", not only are these stringless, but supposedly the birds are less attracted by the white flowers.

[Salmo]

Runner beans soon become stringy, especially if they dry out or there are drying winds. Select the varieties that say stringless and you will have less of a problem. If you think there may be some stringy beans break them in half. If they snap cleanly they are OK.

[tode]

Maybe you're picking them a bit too late: my Scarlet Emperor turn quickly from young tender to tough stringy, in the space of a couple of days. Pick when about 1/1 of full size.

[Sideways]

Thanks all, I think I will start again next year with a new seed.