Borlotti beans

[Normaj]

My bean pods are a good red speckled colour but the beans are plain white and much larger than the dried borlotti beans I buy . Can anyone tell a confused new member why ...... or when best to pick ?

[roitelet]

That’s because they are fresh. As they age and dry they become much more speckled and shrink. They can be eaten fresh though. If you want to store them leave them until the pods become fairly dry and leathery. Pick them and finish drying them shell them and I store them in paper packets to avoid any mound.

BTW, Welcome to the Vine.

[burnie]

Welcome Normaj, not grown them myself, are they under cover out of the weather?

[Jay-ell]

Hello Normaj and welcome to the vine.As Roitlet said once they dry they change colour and shrink. I grow my Borlotti for dried beans and leave them on the plants till the last minute before the frosts to dry (or until they are dry and about to split)

[scarey55]

Hello and welcome to the Vine

As others have said, they are bigger when they are fresh, but still as lovely.

I like to eat them fresh and string them like runner beans. They are beautiful, meaty beans and go really well in soups or stews. I can't speak highly enough of them, a great all rounder

[roitelet]

Just have some germinated in the Tunnel to use like runner beans.

[Normaj]

Borlotti thanks !

It was so exciting to find all these replies so many thanks to all who took time to explain !
My beans are outdoors so I shall pick a few now to try and then leave the rest as long as possible......... not very long up here in Scotland.
Thanks everyone,
Normaj

[annie8]

Good to hear they grow ok in Scotland. Am going to try them next year.

[Derbydal]

one of my fellow allotmenters gave me some this afternoon so i'll be growing the next year ! atb Dal

[kitty12345]

Same here. I pick some young as runner beans and leave the rest to dry for seed and dried beans. Although i am finding that some do go mouldy while drying on the plot. Anybody experienced this as well? I discard those...

[Mark_Riga]

Same here. I pick some young as runner beans and leave the rest to dry for seed and dried beans. Although i am finding that some do go mouldy while drying on the plot. Anybody experienced this as well? I discard those...

Once a pod starts to go flabby where it joins the stem it can be picked. I keep an eye on them then particularly if its very wet like now here. They can be picked then and I dry them spread out in a conservatory. If the pods have got very wet, I pod them and dry the beans spread out.