Borlotto Beans, How To Eat?

iwantanallotment · « **on:** April 18, 2008, 12:04 »

I'm planting some Dwarf Borlotto Beans today, for no other reason than they look nice

Can anyone advise how they're eaten? I'm not 'into' dried beans - can they be eaten sliced & boiled, like general runner beans? And how do they taste?
Sorry for the daft Q, but thanks for any ideas

gregmcalister · « **Reply #1 on:** April 18, 2008, 12:08 »

I tried to grow them last year but the first lot seemed to disappear and the second lot were too late so they never matured. I think you can eat the immature pods as you would for runner beans or you could wait a bit longer and use the fresh beans. I've got both dwarf and climbing varieties this year so I might give it a go myself.

compostqueen · « **Reply #2 on:** April 18, 2008, 12:21 »

you can pod them and put the individual beans in stews and soups as you would dried uns. they do dry very easily (although mice love them) I dried mine and put them in a jar. They look gorgeous

You can freeze the fresh beans too and then you don't have to presoak them. They have to be cooked though for 40 mins I'm told which should be easy if using them in casseroles and such

Pigeons love them so they need protection which is easier with dwarfs

Oh and snails do as well

I did borlottis and Canadian red kidney beans from the Organic Gardening catalogue

pedro · « **Reply #3 on:** April 18, 2008, 18:56 »

you can use them the same as any other beans.
they go green when cooked. they to tend to drop into the mud so some support needed.

iwantanallotment · « **Reply #4 on:** April 18, 2008, 19:07 »

Thank you for the suggestions and tips, looking forward to trying them now.
Just got to grow them first

gobs · « **Reply #5 on:** April 18, 2008, 23:47 »

You can use them for shelling as CQ hints, very good for that, in any stews, soups or side veg as per peas with a longer cooking time and for green beans when very young.

I don't think they grow green on cooking other then used with pods on.

compostqueen · « **Reply #6 on:** April 19, 2008, 13:06 »

I didn't grow many plants as I wanted to see how they performed so I didn't get many beans so doing loads this year. I reckon when my packet is used up I'm going to do climbing borlottis. They look cracking

pedro · « **Reply #7 on:** April 20, 2008, 23:00 »

yes sorry, it is only the pods that go green when cooked like runner beans.

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