Runner bean BEAN's

[sweet-pea]

Like a few other people I never knew you could use runner beans in this way, so I shall be trying it with the ones I've not picked in time.  I would like to know whether the same can be done with climbing french beans too?  Are there any beans that can't be dried and eaten?

Thanks

SP

[sweet-pea]

[euronerd]

Cambourne7, any bean that is the right colour, i.e. white or at least pale. I believe the traditional baked bean was haricot.

Geoff.

[Mrs Ava]

I don't believe there are any beans that cannot be grown to big sizes and then eaten.  I think the drying and cooking are the important things, but if you are eating them fresh from the pods as you pick 'em, then they are delicious!  They can be amazingly creamy!

[sweet-pea]

Thanks EJ
I know that cooking some beans is very important as it gets rid of toxins in the dried bean.  Are these toxins not present in the fresh bean?  Is there a cut off point in terms of age of the beans when they are best left to dry and then cooked rather than fresh.

I know I'm probably being a little too cautious here!

[Mrs Ava]

As far as I know, they are present in the fresh beans (I think) but they are not as concentrated as they are when the beans are dried.  I think if you pick them and eat them this year then they are fine, but I think it is when the beans have been absolutely dried out, so tough like little pebbles, and are older you have to be a little more careful with the cooking.

[sweet-pea]

Thanks EJ, I feel much more reasured now.  I shall try some runner beans on the plot tonight :-)

[Mrs Ava]

oooo sweetpea, I don't know about eating them raw.  I have just reread my message and the way I have written it looks like I mean eating the beans raw from the pods - I meant cooking them straight from the pods.  I have eaten them raw, along with french beans, and I have eaten young runner beans and french bean pods, when they are very young and crunchy, but once the beans are really big and developed, I would tend to cook them, then scoff them....... :-\  going round in circles here!