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I have had quite a good crop of painted lady runners this year, but some have been quite tough unless I pick them when they are small. 

As I can't get my offspring to eat them I wondered what other people grow.  Would I be better with french beans - do they go stringy? 

What should I grow next year?

I'm sorry, lots of questions but I have been wondering how to grow something more attractive to my children.  Thank you

Well we dislike Runner beans altogether and much prefer French beans. We grow the ordinary green, then a yellow one and finally a lovely purple podded variety (Sadly it goes dark green on cooking) All of these are available as either dwarf or climbing varieties. We find them less inclined to go stringy and of a much finer taste.

If I had to pick it would be French Beans.
They crop brilliantly (the Prince I find great), come in a variety of colours as mentioned by Palustris above, (and yes I agree, wish they would stay purple! ;D ) and they freeze far better than runners. They seem to do better in a drought too.

Wow, this is just the sort of replies I needed!  So I could grow them like runners but get a much nicer bean.  Everyone would be happy!  Thank you, thank you. 

I reckoned now was the best time to ask this question while they are or just have been croppping.  I like the sound of different colours too.  Middle son wouldn't eat anything green when he was younger, maybe he would have managed a 'purple' bean!

So climbers or dwarf frenchies ?  I grew climbing flat beans this year and they were good but still went tough in the end.  My dwarfs were very curly where they touched the ground so cimbers could be the thing next year ....

i grew drawf french beans this year - i think they are earlier cropping than climbing ones so you might want to mix and match them - i will. growing yellow hildora and purpl,e teepee (drawfs) for early crops (though my hildoras are still going) and a.n.other climber, along with dwarf cannellini and kidney beans, and borlotti beans for drying :)

French.  I love runners, don't get me wrong, but I do find French beans so much more versatile, not so fussy at growing, and great when eaten really small, or really big and fat!  The kids eat them when they are small also, a big bonus!

French here too.  Like runners as well though - very tasty  :)  I loved the dwarf yellow french bean we grew on our lotty this year (Sonesta) Fantastic taste and great hot or cold and it just kept on producing zillions of beans.  I like them hot with a dollop of mayo on the side or cold with a herby vinaigrette (tossed in it)  :)
Climbing french beans - I've grown Markant and they are still going great guns so are my Scarlet Emporer but they are tough as they get big  :(  But everyone on here tells me they make a good soup and I can use them in stews, or dry them so no waste  :)

Through personal experience I would grow french beans (Stringless) more than runners as they are easier to grow and keep better on the plants. (They dont go tough as quick as runners do.)

The_Snail

French? Yes - more versatile - not much flavour, but take on other flavours. And freeze better. I find most yellow ones very flat & disappointing. And don't freeze well. And why grow purple if they cook green - as Eric says?

Runners? So - if they are the traditional ones - & if you can't pick them when they are 1/2" across & bendy - next time use 'stringless'. Out of 2 X 20' rows, half stringless -  we've probably had a couple of dozen which had to be de-stringed. It's a matter of this & that.
And yes - a flavour of their own, which doesn't fit in with all your stir-fries etc.

Hunter? No one ever mentions them?? Early, self-fertile & always tender. But they only come in green!!

Tim, I don't mind if they are green, it is the texture and taste I am more interested in.  I want to convert them all to liking beans in my house!  I imagine french beans would be good in curry dishes?

I love runners and French beans equally. Although runners are a bit squeaky...

Runners are hardier than French beans - especially if it's damp and/or cold at either end of their season. French beans are better for drying, though. I'd always have a climber rather than a dwarf for yield per sq. foot.

Beans glorious beans...

My favourites are Cobra climbing French bean (round podded stringless) although it always amazes me how many beans I get from such weedy looking plants. As already said, they do suffer when it gets cold - I start them off in pots or Rootrainers, around early May, and plant them out at end of May. I do grow runner beans, and tend to pick loads for the first few weeks to freeze, then let the beans get really big and soon I'll be picking, shelling and freezing just the beans from inside.

Tulippa - yes - MJ's recipe - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/beans.jpg

But see my mini-blog for the Hunters. Very versatile.

And don't always chop beans up - the young ones are much more fun whole?

Agree on Cobra.

I tried the dwarf French bean 'Aiguillon' this year.  As someone who grows her veg in pots, I  have to say this was far more successful than the runners I grew in previous years.

G xx

I second cobras they climb are self fertile, g.ood croppers and stringless..
cheers Jim

I forgot to mention dwarf french bean Delinel - excellent flavour, get loads and loads of beans. I always sow about 5 in holes about 3" deep and about 9" apart. They don't seem to mind being crowded, and the growth keeps the moisture in the soil and the weeds down.

Well I grow both types. The runners are ok but I prefer French dwarf beans for taste, This year I grew Emorma runner beans they cropped well but not as good as my French dwarf, I have tried a few types of French Dwarf The newer varieties  like The Prince and Masterpiece I found poor in cropping compared with "Canadian Wonder" which I find the best. This particular vareity used to be very popular but many seedsmen dont stock it any more, If anyone want to get seed for Canadian Wonder contact  JW Boyce. Bush Pasture, Fordham. Ely Cambs. CB7 5JU

I fear I may be in the minority here, I love runner beans and think they freeze far better than French beans. Having said that I grow french beans and have been very impressed with the dwarf one, Opera, this year. Great smooth, straight, fine beans with good flavour.

I also tried a yellow one, Kinghorn Wax, but we did not like the texture.

For runners I grew Desiree this year and we had a great crop, good yield and not stringy. It was not a straight bean which made it harder to shred but we are enjoying it so far. Freezes very well.

I swear by a bean stringer when cooking runners:



Jerry

Has anyone tried the long skinny Asian beans ?  Are they Kenya beans?  I have eaten them and they are really good but don't know if they would grow here.