[m1ckz]

picked the first today..roast beef ,,with RUNNER BEANS  look forward to it,,,anyone else picking ?

[Mrs Bee]

Now you are just showing off.

Mine are only just showing flowers and I am desperate for a plate of runner beans.

Well done you for beating the weather.

[Bing]

I had fiftyof them from 20ish plants, glad I cna harvest some beans but they are chewy compare with french bean. But my climbing French Bean only produced 10 benas from 30ish plants.

[thestens]

Not even got flowers yet, did you start them early?

[m1ckz]

i put mine in beging of march,,all rotted,re planted end of march  there doing well,,put another row in 3rd april there half way up the poles but are flowering

[GrannieAnnie]

I had fiftyof them from 20ish plants, glad I cna harvest some beans but they are chewy compare with french bean. But my climbing French Bean only produced 10 benas from 30ish plants.

Chewy?  How did you manage that.  I actually find french beans a little harder to digest.  If grown and picked and cooked correctly runner beans melt in your mouth!

Can't wait for mine to grow, only got loads of flowers are the moment.   

[Bing]

I had fiftyof them from 20ish plants, glad I cna harvest some beans but they are chewy compare with french bean. But my climbing French Bean only produced 10 benas from 30ish plants.

Chewy?  How did you manage that.  I actually find french beans a little harder to digest.  If grown and picked and cooked correctly runner beans melt in your mouth!

Can't wait for mine to grow, only got loads of flowers are the moment.   

How to cook them please, I am giving them away, I pick them when they are the size of French bean, and they are still a bit chewy, what is your way of cooking it? Please?

[GrannieAnnie]

I start picking when they are french bean sized, but the Enorma ones I had a couple of years ago grew to 2ft long!

If picked while still young, they shouldn't have any 'string' on them, but if they are a bit stringy, I just cut into the top of the bean, then pull the string down to the bottom.  My Mum used to cut top and bottom off AND each side to get the  stringy bit off.

Then I slice mine thinly and boil until cooked, that's all, but I know some people cut them on a slant into diamond shapes.

Any that get a bit too big or tough, I cut up and freeze for winter stews and curries etc.

[sunshineband]

And I felt proud of our three inch offerings 

[Yana]

It is all a bit hit and miss this year. 
The red flowered varities (cant rememebr what they are called) are producing plenty of flowers but little in the way of runner beans themsleves. About 50% have grown to the top of the 6' canes.
The white flowered variety (White Lady) seem better but are slower growing awith most of them about a third way up the 6' canes.
Last year I had so many, friends would run away from me if they saw me with carrier bags full!! 

[Mrs Bee]

It is all a bit hit and miss this year. 
Last year I had so many, friends would run away from me if they saw me with carrier bags full!! 

Oh happy days last year.

[cricketwidow]

I put in 140 plants and mine look terrible here in cornwall, loads of flowers but no beans I can't believe it, I should be heaving by now.

[jhub]

L...land  sell a really useful runner bean tool, strings and slices them easily.

[Lulu]

I've got a bean shredder - OH loves the beans than have gone through it.  I might even try them this year if I get any beans.  My Enorma have just reached to top of the canes and the white lady are learning to climb.  Mine went in later this year due to weather.  On the whole site they seems to be fairly well though.

[azubah]

Spotted just one half inch baby bean on mine, so they are on the way at last. There are a reasonable number of flowers but the plants are not as strong looking as in previous years.