The drying of beans...

**Munch** · 11-09-2011, 11:47 AM

I have done the same with some of my full borlotti beans, leaving the immature ones to fatten up a bit.

I have tied them into a ristra type thing and hung them in my kitchen window, however I dont know if "I can" so look forward to the helpful grapes advice here too.

**vicky** · 11-09-2011, 05:52 PM

I give them a shelf in the airing cupboard - put an old towel down and leave them on there to dry, don't put in too many at a time, the bean layer can't be too deep! Then pod them and put the individual beans in a paper bag and leave them in a few more days - this time they can be chocka in the bag as they should be more or less dried.
If you have no room in the airing cupboard sheets of newspaper by a sunny (!) windowcill is also effective

**rustylady** · 11-09-2011, 06:00 PM

It really is best to leave them on the plants as long as you can. How come the slugs are getting them?

**Two_Sheds** · 11-09-2011, 06:11 PM

If they feel leathery, then they'll continue crisping up indoors. However really green fleshy beans will just rot, so eat them as shelly beans (boiled for 10 mins, added to soups, stews, whatever)

I've been defoliating all my beans this week to let any sun and air get to the ripening pods - and to deprive the baby snails of a resting place

**Bramble_killer** · 11-09-2011, 11:00 PM

Originally posted by rustylady View Post

It really is best to leave them on the plants as long as you can. How come the slugs are getting them?

I'm saving some dwarf frenchies that grow well and want to select the ones with nice long pods but the weather isn't helping by raining a lot

**arpoet** · 12-09-2011, 05:31 AM

I dont remember where or when, but i once saw a program where a grower cut the whole plant from gound level and hung the whole lot in a dark greenhouse.
However, I leave mine on the plants as long as i can the cut them off, leaving some stem attached, before the frost and dry them in the basement until the pods crack.
Roger

**zazen999** · 12-09-2011, 06:05 AM

Originally posted by Bramble_killer View Post

I'm saving some dwarf frenchies that grow well and want to select the ones with nice long pods but the weather isn't helping by raining a lot

Pop a fleece over them, on good growing years, I cut the string off my frames, lay the bean on fleece on the ground, and cover - just to give them a few more weeks to ripen off.

**Two_Sheds** · 12-09-2011, 08:09 AM

Originally posted by arpoet View Post

cut the whole plant from gound level and hung the whole lot in a dark greenhouse.

yep, that works if the pods are "almost there" and if you put them somewhere dry (not a damp shed/garage)

I'm podding my Frenchies today, and most of the dwarf ones are "damp" rather than crispy like the tall ones which had plenty of airflow up in the , er , air

**FionaH** · 12-09-2011, 08:29 AM

How many leaves do you take of TS? My borlotti beans aren't completely full yet but have loads of greenery

**Two_Sheds** · 12-09-2011, 08:57 AM

^ All of em!

They aren't going to grow much more now anyway

(last year I left them all on the plants until the leaves dropped naturally: however it was too damp & humid in there and I lost most of them to rot)

**Patchninja** · 13-09-2011, 07:36 AM

If you're worried and you've got the space, pod them and sling them as is in the freezer.

**chris** · 13-09-2011, 07:54 AM

So how large do the beans need to be before you need to worry about the lectin? I've some large pods, but the beans inside are probably 5mm and less... Id like to eat these in the pods.

**Two_Sheds** · 13-09-2011, 08:10 AM

All beans contain it. Some contain more of the toxin than others, and the seeds have more of it than the pods do - red kidney beans have the most (there are other colours of kidney bean, so don't think that if it's not red it's OK to eat raw or undercooked).

People will say "oh I've always eaten them raw and I'm still alive" ... I've eaten undercooked beans and it was not OK, it was very very painful & horrible

**FionaH** · 13-09-2011, 08:28 AM

Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post

^ All of em!

They aren't going to grow much more now anyway

(last year I left them all on the plants until the leaves dropped naturally: however it was too damp & humid in there and I lost most of them to rot)

Oooops my dad took the leaves of one of my plants and I told him him not too.
Kind of along the lines of "my bean plant is naked you daft old bugger"

Off to eat some humble pie and tell him he was right. He is gonna love this

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