cooking beans from runner beans

aliby21

I pulled up my runner bean plants yesterday. I've saved plenty for seed for next year, but I still have a lot of pods remaining. Hating to waste anything, I wondered if I can take the beans out and cook them, like haricot beans (which I think come from French beans). The pods are mostly still green, but beans inside fairly large so probably tough - I was thinking of boiling them a while then sticking them in casseroles for a long slow cook. And could I boil then freeze batches to use later?

or am I going to poison myself???

Farway

You will not poison yourself, let Google be your friend to find out how to dry & cook

GreyQueen

Relax, they're perfectly edible, have eaten them in casseroles and am still here to tell the tale.

Fluff15

I didn't realise you were meant to or can remove the beans! I've been eating the pods all my life, as that's what my family do. If you're worried about them being slightly tough, just chuck them in towards the end of a slow cooked meal, such as curry/casserole (last half an hour or so). I usually just chop my beans into inch pieces and boil/steam for ten minutes until tender.

meritaten

yes just cook them until tender (however long that takes). or dry them and use to start new plants next spring.

aliby21

fab! thank you everyone, I will get busy adding beans to casseroles! yum!

fluff 15 - I've been eating the beans the 'normal' way (as pods) all summer, just had these left that are well past using that way.

lilrahi

I use them in curries, with meat or fish