Probably a silly question about flageolet beans

[susieq100]

I sometimes buy these tinned and really like them. So I wondered about growing some - I have searched the forums here and 'googled' the www and find that they are not a variety in themselves, just beans that you pick at a different time (I think) so .. has anyone ever grown any and what variety would you recommend? Thanks for reading this.

[Demeter]

Flageolets are the bean seeds that you find inside your runner or french beans if you pick them after the seeds have formed but before they are fully ripe.

I fink.

No idea what variety is best for harvesting as flageolets, so clearly not that silly a question

[Jardiniere]

the insides of haricots (or as no one calls them here) french beans .They need to be small and green to be proper flageolets as far as i'm concerned HOWEVER i have come to the conclusion that unless you have a massive patch its not really worth growing beans for drying etc as they are all nicer fresh. i shall continue to try different varieties now i've started (borlottos this year) for fun and educational purposes but i'm not counting on keeping myself in the necessary beans for the winter......unless someone has some really good hints for doing so..........................

[susieq100]

Thanks folks - I suppose I shall just have to experiment! I have some purple teepee that are on the edge of being too old to eat whole - I may leave them a bit longer and then see if they are any good shelled and eaten 'fresh' - the flageolet that I buy in a tin aren't dried. They're good - sort of cross between a young broad bean and 'something else'!

[Jardiniere]

youre right theyre not dried - i was just lumping 'inside beans' all together .anything really that you shell can be eaten fresh or dried - the insides of purple tepee will be flageoletish.....no idea what a real flageolet is....someone out there will........

[lapin_rouge]

Flageolet bean seeds!

Mr Fothergills do a Flageolet bean seed (dwarf been flagrano) - I'm trying it myself for the first time so not sure how good it will turn out, guess it needs a hot late summer. Makes sense that there should be a proper seed for flageolet's.

Previous years, my standard climbing french beans have run to seed while I was on hols.

I left them til the pod turned papery, then put whole pods in the tumble dryer! Worked brilliantly separated beans from pod and also dried them sufficient to stop mould growth. Cooked well & tasted great - but didnt have the french flageolet flavour I was hoping for.

Good luck!

[Two_Sheds]

i have come to the conclusion that unless you have a massive patch its not really worth growing beans for drying etc as they are all nicer fresh.

I don't really like fresh beans, I much prefer them as "kidneys". I'm growing 200 plants for drying