Bean, what bean?

[clareg]

Hi,

My father brought me back some beans from Madeira. I have no idea what type of bean they are, he bought them loose, by weight, from a little fruit & veg market.

Anyway, I planted them and they have grown, they are a bushy type (like dwarf french beans, but about 6-8 inches taller), pale green leaves and have red-streaked bean pods.

I have been reading about a "firetongue" variety of borlotti bean which you can buy as a dwarf type. Does anyone have any other suggestions? It would help me a lot if anyone knew if, from the pics attached, if they were ready to pick and also how they should be cooked, I've only ever grown broad beans before!


Cheers,

Clareg

[rustylady]

Do look a bit like Borlotti. However, I'm not sure about cooking. My daughter grows them and she leaves them on the plant to mature and uses them as dried beans during the winter.

[clareg]

Cheers Rustylady, I've seen pictures of the beans dried out will do some more research, before I end up making the whole family ill!

Clareg

[Two_Sheds]

you can't eat them raw; you can boil/steam the whole pod, or just the green beans inside, or leave the whole lot on the plant to dry and use as kidney beans. enjoy

[Snadger]

I grew some last year and froze them. When cooked they taste and look very like a broad bean!


PS I agree with Two Sheds, beans of any description should not be eaten raw as they have toxins which some people are susceptable to!

[kernowyon]

PS I agree with Two Sheds, beans of any description should not be eaten raw as they have toxins which some people are susceptable to!

there is a condition called Favism (G6PD deficiency) which affects people of mediterranean origin which can prove fatal if they eat broad (Fava) beans