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as the seeds are fairly expensive, it is worth saving the seed fo next year´s crop. as all french beans, they are self fertile, so there should not be any problem with interbreeding.
leave to mature on the vines, take the pods off before they split open,  dry the shelled beans thoroughly inside the house. this can take a few weeks. put the seeds for three days in the freezer to kill of bugs. then store them in a jar with a lid.
I have been doing this for the last four years with all my beans.

Did that this winter with "Ying Yang" beans (or "Orca the Killer Bean" as Mrs Project calls them because their colour scheme is so like killer whales!) - just planted this year's plants out yesterday.  Considering the cost of a packet of those seeds it was well worth saving a few.  Didn't do the freezing bit, instead we keep them in good old brown envelopes in a drawer in the Welsh dresser!  The ones we kept for eating were well dried out in the conservatory before storing in a jar.
Of the 36 beans I saved for planting 32 germinated and ended up in the ground as little plantlets.  We have still got a few more dried beans, but they are in the kitchen with the other ingredients.
I am assuming we can continue to do this without any disastrous disease or mutation getting in the way ???

QuoteI am assuming we can continue to do this without any disastrous disease or mutation getting in the way

yes. it is only the runner beans that interbreed. when harvesting the seeds for next season I always take the pods with the biggest seeds.  I wouldn´t  use the odd ones that were left on the vines.

Always pick the beans that look the best,the ones you most want too eat with the most in the pods so that your stock will always be improving,same goes for Garlic. Well it goes for just about anything you want to save seed of.
Try tying a bit of coloured wool or similar around pods while they are still on the plant so that you dont pick them to eat and it's easy to spot the ones you had in mind when you come to gather the seed.

Quote from: Motherwoman on May 01, 2006, 07:24:55
Try tying a bit of coloured wool or similar around pods while they are still on the plant so that it's easy to spot the ones you had in mind when you come to gather the seed.

Brilliant and simple, thank you MW  :D

Shock horror headlines!!!!!

Found the seed packet from last year's Yin Yang beans - Homebase own brand, £1.98 for a packet, average contents 25 seeds.

Now call me old fashioned, but.....  25 seeds for two quid is 8p each.

??? But these are BEANS.  8p each for beans :o