On 24/12/2014 17:02, Christina Websell wrote:
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
" wrote in message
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We have tried different ways to freeze them and the results are always
the same, once
cooked and tasted they go in the bin.

I haven't even tried to freeze them for years, even those that the
seed merchants recommend for freezing are only worth putting
in the bin - as you say Bob.
The best way to keep runner beans is the old fashioned way of
salting them down. Slice them and layer them with salt in a large
stone jar. We always had them at Christmas and as far as I can
remember (it was quite a long time ago!) they were excellent.

If you are a salt addict :-( Yes, they are fine, but the salt level
is far too high for me.

My grandfather always used to salt his runners beans in jars (no freezers
then) and his only Christmas gift to us when I was a child was a jar of
salted runner beans. No matter how long my mother ran them through cold
water, they were always too salty to eat.
I wouldn't dream of trying to eat them preserved like that now, unless I
wanted to give myself high blood pressure :-)

Maybe there is something wrong with my taste buds. I find frozen runner
beans, chopped for the pot (diagonally in small slices of course) and frozen
immediately in portion bags (I don't bother with blanching), perhaps not
quite the same as fresh ones, but quite acceptable.




Nothing wrong with your taste buds, Tina. RG and I always grew Enorma
runner beans and found them to be very acceptable from frozen. My M-I-L
used to freeze her beans, too, but they were always tainted by something
else in the freezer (often gooseberries) which made them less pleasant.
She always used to overcook them as well, which didn't help; their
colour when served was dark olive green .. and occasionally olive brown
:~(. We ate them, but they weren't special.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay