Borlotti Beans

[Finedon.Dandy]

Bluebelle found a receipe called cowboy bean bake which we did together before Christmas and its become a firm favourite. I then decided to grow the borlotti beans so we can use our own. However - I have now gone and put the kids off them for life

I brought some from the shop and soaked for over 24 hours like it said on the packet. Then in the mayhem that is my life now I forgot to cook for 1 1/2 hours before adding them to the receipe cos obviously the tinned type are cooked. I realised my mistake as I added them for the final 1/2 hour cooking time and gave them another 1/2 hour or so but they were still awful - grainy tasting and nothing like when I make it with the tinned version. I let the kids pick the beans out but that defeats the object of this fairly healthy receipe.

Please can someone reassure me that when I try and do it again, following the instructions better next time, the texture of the beans will improve. If not it really isnt worth me growing them is it!

[HayleyB]

Yes Tammy they will be better, I had them in a casserole last night, I froze mine instead of drying which means less cooking time not grainy at all.

[Finedon.Dandy]

Thanks for reassurance Hayley - do I need to blanche first?

[zazen999]

Tammy; they will always need a good boiling after soaking.

What I do with bought beans is to soak the lot overnight, and put them into a huge pan [I have a stellar stock pot/pan] and boil until when you squish them with a wooden spoon, there is hardly any resistance. Then cool, drain and freeze in portion sizes. I put them into small freezer bags so that you don't have to chip them out of a huge lump when you want to use them.

From that, they can be brought out, pour hot water over them, leave for 5 mins, strain and they can go straight into cooking food on the hob.

I did this technique when Mr Z was cooking chilli for us when I was at college as he wouldn't boil them for long enough....this makes it really easy to use them without soaking every time you wanted them.

[HayleyB]

I didn't bother blanching before freezing...

[Finedon.Dandy]

Thanks Andrea - will def do your way for shop bought! Thanks also Hayley - will do your way for ones I am gonna grow!

[zazen999]

Cowboy bean bake@Everything2.com

And I'm gonna be making a veggie version of this in the next few days. Love the sound of it!

[Bren In Pots]

We cook that when we're camping, don't you just I love one pot cooking.

[HayleyB]

Oh btw Tammy, young borlottis you can eat as runners, pick before the beans start to grow.

[Flummery]

I like to pick when the beans well formed inside the pod, but before they start to dry. You can shell them out at this stage (known as Shelly Beans) and freeze them in portions. These take FAR less time to cook. We're really hooked on them. I grow Bird's Egg to use like this, and Hazel has sent me some Polish Climbing beans to shell out too.

[Two_Sheds]

I've started doing it like Flum says.

Shell, dry in a clean teatowel, then open freeze on a tray. Pour into a plastic bag for freeflow beans (not a sticky lump in sight).

[Finedon.Dandy]

Cowboy bean bake@Everything2.com

And I'm gonna be making a veggie version of this in the next few days. Love the sound of it!

Yes thats it - our recipe calls for an onion to start and I like to add a teaspoon of treacle for extra depth (discovered when I found I had no dark sugar) and the veggie one would be good with some celery and/or peppers in too.

[lottielady]

I am planning to grow borlotti this year so if I am reading this right I can shell them, open freeze and then use from the freezer with no other soaking or boiling, I can cook loads of stuff but for some reason dried beans terrify me.

[Alison]

Even though they take longer to cook I prefer to let mine dry fully in the pods so that I can simply store them in a jar and use as I want. Basically this is because even though I have a couple of large freezers I'm still always short of space by the end of summer and the more I can store without freezing the better

[zazen999]

Same here; I can't take up valuable freezer space as I've only got one on top of a fridge.