Borlotti Bean Question

[Duke Ellington]

Would like to grow borlotti beans next year....do you eat them as you would any french climbing bean? or to you dry the inner beans for stews? or do you only use the inner beans ? ...I tell you what would a bean expert tell me what to do with them because I am getting confused. Do I dry the inner bean or eat the inner bean fresh or eat the the pod and bean together like a french bean?
Blooming heck I know what I mean!!!

Duke

[Duke Ellington]

[amphibian]

You can eat them as green beans, when young, like any french bean, or grow them larger and use the soft bean straight away, or you can leave them until the pods are completely dried out, shell them and store them for winter use. So basically you can do all of them. However plants produce far smaller yields if not picked regularly, so if growing drying beans plant a lot more than you would for green beans.

[Duke Ellington]

Thanks for you answer amphibian :)

Duke

[sawfish]

I particularly like growing them for the beans inside as they are fabulous in stews.

[Toadspawn]

I only eat them as green beans. Pick when they are about 4-5" long, top and tail and cook. Eat with pepper and butter and fresh bread and butter, or you can have them as a veg in the meat and 2 veg meals but it tends to spoil the flavour of the beans.
Also very good eaten raw standing by the row.
They freeze very well, and because they are so productive this is a good way to store them fo later use.
I found that the quality of the home grown dried beans was not as good as the shop bought ones so if I want dried beans I buy them.

[Duke Ellington]

If you use the beans inside fresh from the pod ~how long do you cook them for ?

Duke

[thifasmom]

If you use the beans inside fresh from the pod ~how long do you cook them for ?

Duke

i cooked mine for 40 - 45 minutes, others might do them for less.

[Duke Ellington]

ok thanks  ;)
Duke