Topic: borlotti beans

[gledhillbo]

Are borlotti beans viable for growing in the north of England?

[Squashmad]

Yes I have grown them in Tynedale. I found the climbing ones to be more sucessful. Did not get a huge crop - but think that was my fault as I didn't bother feeding.  :-[ Fresh ones are delicious though, and take much shorter time to cook. I would give it a go.

[Berty]

I am in North West Leicestershire. My plot is very exposed to wind. Last year I planted the seedling out to early and they all were killed by the wind chill and late frost. The next lot (10) went out in mid May with some wind protection and they shot off. Nice crop but not in the same league as runner beans.

[Gail-M]

Hi,

I'm in Fife,Scotland and grew some for the first time last year. Some of first lot got 'cold' and died but the rest and second sowing grew OK.

Good luck

Gail

[Moggle]

I would suggest you treat em like runners/french beans, and sow them indoors a month or so before your last frost. Plant with them if you want some for storage, because they're not as prolific as french beans or runners (because you're leaving them to set seed an as far as they're concerned they've done their job?).

I've chosen the climbing variety as I have masses of slugs and they got a lot of last year's dwarf beans.

They look so great on the plant once they really turn red  :)

[Svea]

i am going to grow some myself. i grew both canadian wonder (red kidney bean) and cannellini beans this year - both for storage rather than eating fresh. they cropped prolifically! as did the french dwarf bean i actually harvested every other day for eaating fresh.

i cut off the plants when they started withering in september, strung them together using some twine, and hung them upside down on my fence. this was for the initial drying of the beans (oh, as i was stringing them i ripped all the leaves off - so only the beans remained on the plants - better air circulation too?)
they stayed hung up outdoors for about three weeks (rain and shine) before i brought them indoors for another two weeks of drying. the shells were very brittle then and i shelled them and i had a decent crop. i would say about a pound in weight off about 20 plants or so

i have eaten borlotti beans before and prefer them over runners :)

[Toadspawn]

I have grown them for two years just the same way as kidney(runner) beans. Raised in modules in the GH, hardened off and planted next to the cane. Wonderful crop but I always picked the pods when they were about 4-6" long, the pods were not allowed to mature until the end of the season for seed for the following year. They were just topped and tailed and cooked whole and eaten either as a veg with a meal or just by themselves with bread and butter and pepper. Why bother to dry them when they can be bought so easily and of very good quality.

[gledhillbo]

Thanks for the advice. I think I now understand borlotti.

Though I do not understand why anyone wants to grow and eat runner beans unless they like eating string. Flat "Algarve" bean yes, woody runners no.

So the rule is this: If I want to have the whole bean I would have to let the pod grow and shrivel as with flagolet beans, then dry them. But if if I crop it like a pencil pod french bean then you cook borlotti like fresh pencil pod beans.

Is this correct?

Do they keep the colour when cooked?

I am surprised they are not in the Marshalls catalogue. That is what prompted me to think they may not be suitable for cool climates. Which seed merchant does them and is there a recommended variety?

[Svea]

if you pick the pods small then they are indeed edible like french beans (they are a french bean type)
if the pods become big you can shell and eat fresh - flagolets
let them grow to maturity and dry and shell for winter use (then they will need soaking overnight)

[jennym]

Borlotti - There are probably different types of borlotti bean - I grew some dwarf Coco Rubico ones, and tried them as young green beans with pods.
To be honest, was not impressed, the pods were very stringy and tough, despite being young. I guess other varieties may be different. The beans themselves were superb though, a lovely speckled red.

Flageolet - The flageolet ones I grow are Flavert, a true slim shaped bean, pale green inside a pod, which again, I find stringy even when young.

[Moggle]

Gledhillbo, you can get them from T&M (Climbing), Suttons (Dwarf), Fothergills (D), Kings (C), and Organic Catalogue (C) at the very least. Kings seem the most sensibly priced at £1.35  :)