DryingBorlotti beans

[Chippy Minton]

Hello all, the season is late and the harvest is coming in. Up at the LandShare I grew some Borlotti beans as I thought they'd be low maintenance and just need bringing in at the right time. We've had the first frost and the foliage had gone so I harvested the beans without high expectations, only to be pleasantly surprised to find 7-8 (although small) well formed beans per pod Now, I need to dry them to store, I'm happy that they're fully ripe, speckled little bursts of protein but does anyone have any advice, pointers, etc. on how I know they're dry enough to store? Currently they're sitting on 2 metal oven trays on top of the (unlit) wood stove.

All help, advice, general ideas welcomed

[Feral007]

No help here, just hoping to see the answers you get.

[WilliamD]

A warm airing cupboard does the trick for me. Until they don't give at all when you squeeze one.

[Bren In Pots]

Chippy have a read at this thread :-

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ans_40229.html

[kathyd]

I put some red kidney beans on top of our wood burning cooker to dry, but I think I may have roasted them by mistake!! The tray was red hot when I lifted it off. So be warned - slow is better than quick!

This year's beans are still hanging in the polytunnel on their stalks until the pods have dried out properly, and then I'll bring them into the house and leave them beside - not on top! - of the cooker or the fire this time until the beans are really hard, as William says. I have some from last year which dried really well sitting in the kitchen in the warmth, I just keep forgetting to soak them overnight to use... but at least they look pretty in their glass jar on the shelf

[Two_Sheds]

This year's beans are still hanging in the polytunnel on their stalks until the pods have dried out properly,

It may be too cold & damp for that to happen naturally now. I would bring them in the house if I were you: spread the pods out on newspaper on windowsills or the top of the fridge, worktops, wherever

[Thelma Sanders]

Yes, bring them indoors - I left some of mine to dry in the shed and with all this rain it's still been damp enough in there that they've gone mouldy

[stella]

I bring them in the house, put them on newspaper on a tray and leave them somewhere out of the way. I usually find the airing cupboard too hot, they need a long slow dry out, a couple of weeks usually does it.

[kathyd]

okie dokie, I'll bring them in tomorrow, thanks.

[Chippy Minton]

Chippy have a read at this thread :-

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ans_40229.html

Thanks Bren, hadn't thought of freezing them, they'll end up in soups anyway so that's probably the way forward rather than waiting for them to go mouldy I shall inform the good lady wife and, from a distance, ask if she has a spare minute would she mind doing the needful, whilst I'm out slaving away to earn an honest crust, etc. Is that violins I hear in the distance

[Chippy Minton]

800g frozen and ready for souping with the Cavolo Nero, I feel a Minestrone coming on ready for the great snow.....

[Bren In Pots]

I love beans and Kale in soups this Ribollita is my favourite :- Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall The Guardian

[Chippy Minton]

I love beans and Kale in soups this Ribollita is my favourite

Thanks for that Bren, had Ribolitta yesterday and plenty left over for lunch today What a meal, homegrown beans, kale, onions......

[Bren In Pots]

Its perfect and tastes even better the next day.

[carolineholding]

I dried lots of beans last year and... never got round to soaking and boiling them. So froze this year, I seem to be doing a better job of getting through then!