I have started my bollotis (spell check?)in modules they are 1 ft tall already any advice on these monsters? do they eat well?
Thanks
What monsters. Have only grown them once and treated them as tender plants. They were delicious in bean soup with lots of basil.
Hope that yours are good too.
Flossie
Ooh yes :P :)
I got my plot last May, planted them in late June, and they harvested through to November.
Eat the whole pod as green beans, or the shelled beans fresh, or dried beans, lovely all ways ;D
Quote from: chrispea27 on April 20, 2006, 20:03:12
I have started my bollotis (spell check?)in modules they are 1 ft tall already any advice on these monsters? do they eat well?
Oh thank God I'm not alone! There was me thinking mine were leggy as h*ll and probably doomed! (no window sills y'see).
They're fab, the dried beans are fab and can take you through the hungry spell. The less red streaks in the dried beans, the better the quality. Will have to try them as whole beans, tho'.
I'll be putting mine out mid May together with some that have been soaked in water for a few days (like my peas) and some that have had no soaking. Bit of an experiment but hopefully will be a successional sowing that will save my precious time. Do let us (me ;D) know how you get on & I'll do likewise.
not had much luck with my bolooti's out of 20 i tried i must have had only 4 come through the other had a no show and when i looked they where not that good to be fair a little mushy to say the least ! never mind 4 are better than none my other beans are doing nicely
carl
Not planted mine this year yet, but last year were a huge sucess, as fresh green beans and as ermmmmm the bean seeds, which froze well, doing double the amount this year! ;D
Plenty of time yet, not even thought about sowing them yet.
I use them as a dried pulse...very nice.
Jerry
The kids planted mine in pots at the weekend, and they have all just broken the surface. The kids seem to have the knack with my seeds, so they are currently in charge of all sowing and seed distribution!
I won't be planting them out for a few weeks yet - they will be shifted into my cold greenhouse and then planted on the plot when there is less risk of frost.
I have grown them for a couple of years now. I cannot see the point of letting them ripen as dry beans because it is so easy to buy them from numerous shops.
I have always eaten them either raw straight from the row or cooked as whole beans. Just top and tail them, cook them until tender in water, strain, add butter and pepper and eat by themselves with fresh crusty bread. You could use them as a veg in a main meal. They freeze very well, I am just finishing mine off from last year. However, because they are so productive I usually give huge amounts away.
These are possibly my favourite beans ? I have not sowed mine this year yet, and hope to supplement them with lots of various types of haricot beans ... I disagree on the issue of whether they are cheaper to buy, this comes down to the question of why do we grow anything? Is it purely cost? Or is it down to quality and taste? The taste of these borlotti beans picked fresh does my head in. So far I have not managed to save any for later in the year, they are all gobbled up straight away. Not just by me, my family is my final voice ...
Sorry, but who said anything about what they cost? ???
My apologies Merry Tiller, I was a bit lax in my choice of words there, I should have said 'easier to buy' ... although to me, the easiest method is to harvest them ...
I know what you mean, but I prefer the taste of them fresh anyway, dried beans all taste much the same to me
Quote from: EJ - Emma Jane on April 20, 2006, 22:26:57
The kids seem to have the knack with my seeds, so they are currently in charge of all sowing and seed distribution!
Heartwarming stuff e-j, I still remember the thrill of being 'allowed' to get the seeds sprouting as a wean. You're raising a generation of gardeners along with the beans, and good on you ;D ;D ;D
No chance of you renting them out by the hour, is there? ;)
Interesting, I like them fresh but do like them as a dried bean too. They add great susbstance to stews or thick tuscany style soups. As I grow runner, broad beans and borlotti I tend to store stuff in various ways, drying being one of them. Broads and runners freeze very well but I only have so much freezer space even with 4 of them!!!!
I have to say I do also like the beans on the vine as they dry, lovely bright red pods!
Jerry