On Sat, 7 Oct 2006 20:58:57 +0100, "shazzbat"
wrote:

We went to the allotment today and it's all lying on the ground, canes,
beans the lot. So we brought home the beans, shucked them, and now we've got
a washing up bowl full of beans. We haven't let them go long enough to use
as beans rather than pods before, what now? I assume the purplish outer skin
is to go, but that's going to be a huge fiddly operation, how best to remove
it? will it come away any easier when dried or frozen?

Steve, do you mean the purplish outer skin is the pod? if so just let
them dry ritght out and then have a very satisfying time podding them.
When they are dry they will keep for ages. You can use the beans as
haricots in stews etc, but the longer they dry out the more soaking
and cooking they will need. Save a few for seed for next year but
they may not come true.
I cannot see the need to remove the skin on the actual bean.


Pam in Bristol