[needssomehelp]

hi all, last year i ended up freezing loads of beans that ended up being stringy so i chucked them . this year i have bought lady di stringless beans, has anybody grown these if so what are they like.
i know if i had picked them sooner they wouldnt be so stringy but i cant seem to work out what is too soon and what is too late

[JayG]

I've grown them a couple of times and they are a very good variety IMO!

All runner bean varieties will eventually become not just stringy but "cardboardy" if left for too long; if the seeds inside the pod are clearly visible and the bean doesn't snap cleanly in half you have left them too long.

Lack of water can make the beans tougher than they should be as can a very hot spell of weather (I wish!) 

[Ma and Pa Snip]

Agree with Jay

We've tried lady Di and a few other 'stringless' varieties.

We have been quite successful................... 

in managing to leave some of them on the plant long enough to become stringy. 

A young bean that looks too small to be worth picking one day becomes a monster bean thats inedible by the next time you look at it. 

[mumofstig]

eat them all young It seems that the more you pick the more they produce

[Coach]

I grew them last year for the first time, I was pleased with them so I kept back seeds for this year.

[VirginVegGrower]

hi all, last year i ended up freezing loads of beans that ended up being stringy so i chucked them . this year i have bought lady di stringless beans, has anybody grown these if so what are they like.
i know if i had picked them sooner they wouldnt be so stringy but i cant seem to work out what is too soon and what is too late

You are meant to run a knife blade up each side of a runner bean, also taking off top and bottom of bean before you chop, blanch then freeze. Does that make sense?

[DD.]

There's no need to do that with stringless ones. I don't with my "White Lady".

[JayG]

You are meant to run a knife blade up each side of a runner bean, also taking off top and bottom of bean before you chop, blanch then freeze. Does that make sense?

Yes (but only if you've got stringy beans in the first place!) 

[VirginVegGrower]

You are meant to run a knife blade up each side of a runner bean, also taking off top and bottom of bean before you chop, blanch then freeze. Does that make sense?

Yes (but only if you've got stringy beans in the first place!) 

All of them need prepping that way unless you are picking them about two inches long. Ask the wife! :0

[DD.]

Oh no they dont!

[mumofstig]

I'm not your wife, but I have grown and cooked runners for many a year....so I can disagree with you (and her)
the newer varieties are stringless until about 8ins apx, mine rarely stay on the plants beyond that stage

[VirginVegGrower]

Oh no they dont!

Not stringless obviously otherwise they wouldn't be called stringless, but if talking about other varieties, which was the original poster's problem last year, housewives going back generations have just wasted years prepping beans then..? My mother did it, my dad did it, my grandmother did it, my OH's mother did it...obviously we are all wrong. I meant to help the poster bu suggesting a different preparation method which will help when it comes to freezing them.

[JayG]

OK, how about this?

If your beans are stringy; string them.

If not, don't. 

[chrisnchris]

I use one of these, I find it quicker than a knife, although I do use a knife to top & tail

http://www.johnlewis.com/178722/Style.aspx

I knock off the small blade at the top, it's not much use & I think quite dangerous.

You will be able to buy much cheaper than this  , but the design is good

[plum crumble]

I have found that, no matter what variety you grow, you pick em at the right time, you don' t need to string em!

I do think we do things sometimes just cos we've always done it - rather like bending over stems of onions - it's actually detrimental as it can allow rot into the necks - or letting Yorkshire batter rest before using -not needed at all!