Beetroot leaves

[lettuceleaf]

Have just harvested my beetroot and was going to put the leaves and stalks in the compost, but they looked so fresh and green I wondered if they were edible. If they are, does anyone know how best to cook them?

[veggiechicken]

Small leaves can be eaten raw, use the larger ones like spinach!

[lettuceleaf]

Thanks for that.
Another quick question whilst writing, about Bolotti beans. I've just harvested them and half of them are green and soft, the others are harder and white with red in. I know that hard beans should be soaked overnight and then cooked quickly, but I'm wondering how to cook the green soft ones (which are probably immature), I don't think they would survive an overnight soaking and quick cooking. Can anyone help, please?

[veggiechicken]

Just cook the green beans like any other soft bean - like a broad bean or a pea! The soaking is only to rehydrate a dried bean - that's all! You'll probably want to dry the hard ones to keep them for a while anyway.

[lettuceleaf]

Thank you once again Veggiechicken.

[lettuceleaf]

Well, that was a different and unexpected additional veg to the plate - beetroot leaves and very nice too.

A bit more about harvested borlotti beans, some are green and some are more matured speckled white and red. The green ones, as suggested, will treat as ordinary beans/peas, but do the speckled white and red beans (more mature) need soaking etc., ie do they need rehydrating prior to cooking, they were harvested at the same time as the green ones?

As suggested, I am intending to store some away for replanting. What's the best way to dry them out so they will keep for storing, please?

[veggiechicken]

The red and white beans are just more mature - not dried out yet - they'd be as hard as bullets then! You may have to cook them for longer than the green ones, that's all!!

[lettuceleaf]

The "spares" that I've kept for next year, will they dry out and harden up by themselves - just being left in a box in a cool place?

And now the plot thickens (apologies for the pun) I've just read a disturbing fact that some of the beans left for storing may have beetle larvae in them which develop in the warmth of a house and crawl out. To avoid this it is suggested to freeze the beans you are going to store. Which leads me to another question, how long do I leave the storage beans before freezing them - or should I freeze them straight away even though they are not hardened off? Oh, the dilemma, the dilemma of beans.

[veggiechicken]

You'll need someone else t0 answer your questions about drying beans - I never have enough for that!

[lettuceleaf]

Anyone know how one dries out borlotti beans to store for planting next year, please? Also, anyone heard about beetle larvae that may be lurking in the bean and what to do. Advice much appreciated.

[SeleneMourie]

I've never thought of eating the leaves so thank you for the advice!