Keeping beans

[stella]

I have grown beans for drying, I think butter beans. However time is running out and they have not dried on the stalk. Is it ok to pick them as they are and just freeze them. If so do I still have to do all the excess boiling before eating or what do I do. Thanks

[rustylady]

Why is time running out Stella? It's only August.

[Alison]

I usually pick mine late September / early October.

[Vince G]

My borlotti are nowhere near ready, not fattening much yet. Will be leaving them until they're rustling dry before picking.

[taff]

Why is time running out Stella? It's only August.

I htink she's in italy and coming back....or maybe not....

[Two_Sheds]

My borlotti are nowhere near ready

They won't be long, I had my first (shelly beans) yesterday

[stella]

Yep I am in Italy and due to leave next week. The beans are fat and looking good but not dried. So want to know what to do with them any advice please, would hate to waste a crop. Thanks

[rustylady]

Pick them and shell them. The beans won't be dry but can be used as "shelly" beans and frozen.

[SarzWix]

I froze quite a lot of my beans last year that were semi-dried. I did boil them hard for 10 minutes first, and then froze them in small batches so that I could just tip a bag out into a casserole or other dish without having to do any other prep. It worked really well, and I'll be doing the same this year (if I ever get any beans to do it with.. )

[Vince G]

They won't be long, I had my first (shelly beans) yesterday

Our intention was to store our borlotti long(ish) term so we could put them in winter stews etc. Not done any drying of beans before - what's the technique? Also got some chickpeas which finally look to be getting fatter. Same intended purpose.

[Two_Sheds]

Not done any drying of beans before - what's the technique?

Simply leave them on the plant until they're brown & crispy, then shell them and store in breathable (not plastic) containers

[Vince G]

Simply leave them on the plant until they're brown & crispy, then shell them and store in breathable (not plastic) containers

Excuse my ignorance, but what sort of breathable container would you suggest? All I have is tupperware type plastic lunchboxes, and glass jars I keep my pasta in (i.e. kilner jars)

[Hazel at the Hill]

Simply leave them on the plant until they're brown & crispy, then shell them and store in breathable (not plastic) containers

If 'brown and crispy' is looking unlikely (i.e. constant rain), 'brown' will do, as long as you can bring them in and lay the pods on newspaper in a cool airy place (garage, for example - not greenhouse, too hot & humid. I put them in the attic room with the velux a bit open). Keep turning them every few days and leave for as long as it takes to forget that they are there, then when you are at a terrific loose end - say, over Christmas - break the beans from the pods, play with them a bit (because that feels good - or is that just me?) and then store.

Excuse my ignorance, but what sort of breathable container would you suggest? All I have is tupperware type plastic lunchboxes, and glass jars I keep my pasta in (i.e. kilner jars)

Airtight plastic/tupperware will make the beans 'sweat' & rot. I use old Nescafe coffee jars.

[Kestrel]

Airtight plastic/tupperware will make the beans 'sweat' & rot. I use old Nescafe coffee jars.

Absolutely agree. Most advice I have read suggest airtight containers and this will usually cause rotting. Rice, or those little silica gel packs you get with electronic products, would draw the moisture. I just put them in paper bags.

Are coffee jars not airtight then? I know they have a seal accross the top when you first open them but they still seem to close fairly tightly. Maybe I'll give 'em a go.

[Alison]

I always store mine in kilner jars and that works absolutely fine. It is very important that you make sure that they are totally dry before you store them.