Borlotti Bean Dwarf

[VirginVegGrower]

OK - evening all! Picked off a considerable harvest tonight and my question is what to do with them for best taste. Do I blanch and freeze, dry out or place in brine? Answers to someone who hasn't borlottied before - thank you!

[scarey55]

I am a real Borlotti bean convert - they are easy to grow and so creamy. I froze a load of mine without blanching last year and they were fine. I also dried a lot but remember to soak overnight and boil for a while before eating them. It says somewhere on her what to do but, TwoSheds is really your bean expert.

[VirginVegGrower]

Thank you, will try freezing this lot first then - hope TS comes along soon...

[trolleydolly]

For me, freezing fresh borlotto beans is the best way to keep them. No soaking before cooking, and they cook very quickly. I also treated my Haricot beans to the same fate!

[Two_Sheds]

I'm not the only bean expert, by any means.

You mean you shelled the borlottis VirginVeg? (you can eat them whole when they're v.small). They are good frozen straight out of the pod ~ give them a 10 min boil before you eat them (to remove the toxic lectin). Never eat them raw or under-cooked, you could be very ill.

They won't dry any more now that you've shelled them: for drying beans (haricots) you need to leave them on the plant as long as poss and shell them once the pod is brown & crispy

[jacob]

You mean you shelled the borlottis VirginVeg? (you can eat them whole when they're v.small). They are good frozen straight out of the pod ~ give them a 10 min boil before you eat them (to remove the toxic lectin). Never eat them raw or under-cooked, you could be very ill.

Gulp. You mean blanching them for 3 minutes straight out of the garden, like I would a broad bean, isn't such a good idea? (I did this last year, and I think I'm still alive.)

[Flummery]

I dry them until they are a bit leathery - on the plant - before shelling them to freeze as shelly beans. The other way (whch allows you to save some as seeds too) is to dry as much a s possible on the plant then complete the drying process indoors, say on newspaper, and don't shell out till they rattle.

[jojo2910]

Hi,

How big do you let the beans/pods get before picking? First year with these and I'm unsure.

Thank you in advance.

[Two_Sheds]

(I did this last year, and I think I'm still alive.)

You sure are. If you ate enough of them undercooked, you could well get a very bad tummy: I've done it myself and it wasn't pleasant

How big do you let the beans/pods get before picking?

For shelly beans? You can do them as soon as you feel the bumps through the pod's skin, or you can let them get quite leathery, which is the biggest the beans will get

[VirginVegGrower]

I'm not the only bean expert, by any means.

You mean you shelled the borlottis VirginVeg? (you can eat them whole when they're v.small). They are good frozen straight out of the pod ~ give them a 10 min boil before you eat them (to remove the toxic lectin). Never eat them raw or under-cooked, you could be very ill.

They won't dry any more now that you've shelled them: for drying beans (haricots) you need to leave them on the plant as long as poss and shell them once the pod is brown & crispy

Not shelled when I wrote but have now and frozen them. I might try drying next lot in their pods I think. Thanks for tip on 10 minute boiling:-)

[VirginVegGrower]

Hi,

How big do you let the beans/pods get before picking? First year with these and I'm unsure.

Thank you in advance.

Glad to see I'm not the only Borlotti newbie :-)

[jojo2910]

It's all new to me