Stringy Runner Beans

[Shortie]

You know how it goes, one stringy bit of runner bean in your dinner and you dont' want to touch them again, it's so darned off putting.

So this year I've been a bit over cautious and anything that looks remotely stringy isn't being used. But that seems like such a waste to me...

If I dried the beans inside, woul they be any good in recipies (maybe chilli con carne?) or not. Does any one else do this or what do you do with the stringy beans you're finding (other than compost heap)?

I think there was a thread recently about this but I couldn't spot it, sorry

[Flummery]

Yes you can use the beans inside Shortie - but the answer is to keep your beans well watered and to pick them YOUNG.
I find runners have a rough mouth feel which I don't especially like so I only grow climbing french or pole beans. Never had those go stringy but again, I pick young or use for shelly beans.

[Kristen]

"what do you do with the stringy beans you're finding "

We pick them REALLY tiny. But that apart, as I mentioned in another thread, we prefer this flat French bean Suttons Seeds: Vegetable Seeds: Bean (Climbing French) Limka Seeds - same shape / size as a runner, but top & tail then cross-cut into 1" lengths. No string!!

[Hilary B]

My Mum simply used the inside beans like broadbeans. If a pod seems 'stringy' when slicing, take the beans out and cook them with the sliced ones. I was never keen on them, but I was the fussy one in the family, so Mum just avoided putting those ones on my plate.

[Shortie]

Yes you can use the beans inside Shortie - but the answer is to keep your beans well watered and to pick them YOUNG.

Ah yes, agreed. But you know how they're fab at playing hide 'n' seek and you sometimes miss a bunch?

My Mum simply used the inside beans like broadbeans.

Cool, I'll try them in a chilli then

[Flummery]

Ah yes, agreed. But you know how they're fab at playing hide 'n' seek and you sometimes miss a bunch?

They are the ones I save for seed! However, I grow french beans which don't cross readily. Runners do.

[BarleySugar]

I thought i'd picked my runners this morning, then coming down the garden path tonight, I found a large handful I'd missed. I'm sure they weren't there earlier!

[Comfreyfan]

My gran always had us 'stringing' the runner beans - just taking the outside long edge off - I just pick mine younger - I could eat them every day, probably will be soon, only every other day at the moment!

[BarleySugar]

I always take the outside edge off, even with 'stringless' ones, then slice finely, because that was the way I was taught to do them. Mum was very scathing about people who chopped them into chunks, and we had to practise until we got them right She wouldn't entertain a bean slicer either, even though my elder sister bought her one to save her time. Interestingly though my OH complains about them being in long bean length slices, says they are harder to eat! Does he know or care how long it took me to prefect the art?

[Hilary B]

We always sliced runners into long, but not bean-length, slices, slightly diagonal. If the bean doesn't string' when you cut the end, odds are it is young enough not to be a problem anyway.

[nomadyane]

What a sensible lot! I'm for ever being told that runners are preferable to French beans. I don't agree - for all the reasons above. I've grown climbing French beans for years, very successfully. Grew Blue Lake for a long time, then changed last year to Cobra. Excellent beans, but the crop this year is very poor compared to last. What's your experience? Any good recipes - as even with a poor crop I have more than I can use at once. (They freeze very well; better than runners.)
David

[Gwen11ian]

I love runner beans.. and as said, they're best picked young. But once in a while one escapes detection until it's rather big.. just use a carrot peeler down each side to de-string it and cut it up along with the rest.

[bubblewrap]

I love runner beans.. and as said, they're best picked young. But once in a while one escapes detection until it's rather big.. just use a carrot peeler down each side to de-string it and cut it up along with the rest.

Why not leave it to go to seed?

[Hilary B]

If a runner bean is old enough to be 'stringy' then cutting it up with the rest just leads to unexpected 'stringy bits' when eating them (like you don't get with French beans, but I like both and they are not quite the same). If still on the plant. let it ripen, if discovered after picking, treat like a broad-bean and only cook the actual beans.

[finefencer]

Hello, I have one to add...... Wine.... it might not sound very good but believe me its very nice....medium dry.
3lb beans
1/2 oz bruzed ginger
1 bag of sugar
tea spoon yeast nutrient
hock yeast
juice of 1 lemon

Put the beans, sugar, ginger into a clean plastic bucket, pour over enough hot water to disolve the sugar, top up with cold water to the gallon mark, add lemon juice and yeast nutriant, when cool add the yeast and cover, put in a warm place, after 3-4 days strain into demi jon, fit air lock.....easy
beans on the plate.
dryed beans in the chilli
and a glass to wash it down with