What does stringless mean with ref to runners.

[Jimmy]

I got a packet of Prizewinner.
The packet said stringless.
They grew well.
But they certainly weren't 'stringless'

I could make enough rope for a tall ship from them !

Jimmy

[veggiechicken]

Did you pick them young and tender or leave them to grow old and tough as old ........erm............ropes?

[Jimmy]

Well they were a tad long.
But stringless is stringless, not well it might be stringless but ...
It said it on the packet so I expect it to be so.
Jimmy

[Bigmallly]

Sorry Jimmy but I think you have already answered your own question..........

[Jimmy]

So 'stringless' on the packet seems a bit pointless.

Jimmy

[Thelma Sanders]

Any beans will be stringy if you leave them on the plant too long - all veg get past their best if you don't harvest at the right time

Some old varieties of beans had to be stringed even when small, if this isn't the case then they're labelled stringless

[veggiechicken]

There seems to be a Prizewinner ordinary bean and a Stringless Prizewinner.....
Never grown them so know nothing about them but I've yet to find a truly stringless runner bean

[Nicos]

Actually.....

I always grow stringless varieties of French bean. Same ones every year.

Last year they were planted too close to a massive cherry tree and didn't get enough water, and for the first time ever they were really stringy!
Same ones planted from the same packet were totally stringless this year.

Maybe yours were allowed to dry out a bit too much????

[Bren In Pots]

I like my beans small so the only time I leave them to get long is at the end of the season when I want them for dried and seeds beans.

[Bigmallly]

So 'stringless' on the packet seems a bit pointless.

Jimmy

It appears to be in your case Jimmy..........I would also have expected that stringless meant exactly that.

[Paulieb]

This is the reason why I haven't grown runners for 2 years. I never manage to pick at the right time. Maybe in the future with more time I'll try to stay on top of some runners.

An alternative for me are Cosse Violette french beans. Not quite the same taste as runners, but you can literally leave the beans for ages (or forget to pick them) and they haven't been stringy at all.

[Four Seasons]

Jimmy if you put them in a food mixer or blender you can chop the strings so small that you don't notice them in soups. This is what I do with my late beans in fact anything that goes a bit stringy or tough can be blended so that they make very acceptable soup.

[arpoet]

Don't believe all you read..... it says Ty-Phoo Tea on the sides of busses but they never offer me a cup....

[veggiechicken]

........and those hole in the wall machines that say "Free cash"............

[kathyd]

I suspect 'stringless' is a bit like 'stainless' - I was horrified years ago when I worked for a stainless steel mfr and found out that 'stainless' actually only means 'stains less than other things', it doesn't mean it won't stain at all... So maybe 'stringless' means 'less stringy' rather than 'no strings'. Does feel like a con though. I grew cosse violette this year too and loved them, so definitely one for the future .