[arwen]

Hi,
I have just returned from holidays to a glut...read that as two full baskets of...runners, a large proportion being overgrown and stringy.

I will salvage what I can from the more tender ones, but can I take the pod apart and just freeze the beans from the middle?

I know there is a toxin in the seed of the runner and therefore I need to ensure I boil them for at least 10 minutes before eating them, but do they freeze well is the question and is there anyone on here (alive ;-)  ) who has done this?

I suppose the other question would be then, if they don't freeze well or they're not safe, is there anyway that I can make the old beans less stringy, ie: soaking them in water or salting them or am I just going to have to compost them as a bad job?

Thanks

[mumofstig]

Yes, you can use the beans for shelling  Runner bean the Czar was bred for shelling as a 'butter' bean.

You can freeze or dry them, whichever suits you better.

[arwen]

This is going to be a really dumb question, however, as I picked them early ie: they weren't dry on the plant and places I've read have said to let them go yellow and then hang the whole plant, can I take them from my green pods and dry them in my dehumidifier?