[nilsatis1964]

Just got back from 2 weeks holidays and the french beans are all about 6/7 inches long.  Do I pick them now or what happens if they are left?  Any advice welcome.

[Jodie A]

Depending on variety, in the early stages steam/boil whole, when the seeds are bigger and show lumps though the pods, depending on the stringiness of the pod, either shell and use the beans, or slice like you would with runners.  Any larger either save the seeds to use like kidney beans, ie whole meaty beans.

If it's a non F1 variety you like, let them dry out on the frame, and save the seed for next year.

[alwayshopeful]

I have had the same problem!  How do you save the beans?  Do you dry them out or can you freeze them?  If you do dry them out, how do you cook them afterwards?  - sorry to sound thick, but my beans are either fresh out of garden or in a tin!!

[DD.]

We've only just bean through all this.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=63076.0

[mumofstig]

some advice on drying in this thread

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=46200.msg541752#msg541752