What's the best way to dry these for use over winter? On the plant or take
off, shell and lay out?
TIA
--
Kathy

"Kathy McIntosh" wrote...
What's the best way to dry these for use over winter? On the plant or
take off, shell and lay out?
TIA

What we have done is let them dry as much as possible on the plant, but
before the pods start to open up and shed the beans you need to pick them.
We then podded them and put them in a cloth sack (old coin bag) which we
hung in our garage for the beans to dry, occasional stirring helps. We have
used this for Borlotti, Red Kidney, and Haricots. (as well as saved seed)
Once dry they can be put away but keep them in the sack or paper bag as
putting them into a sealed container could cause condensation and rot.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Roger Tonkin wrote:
Our beans are still red and green, and at the moment show no sign of
ripening/drying on the plants. Given the current weather and the
forecast of possible ground frost at the weekend, plus the fact we go
away for two weeks next Monday, I think I've got a problem.

Possible ground frost? Where? Blimey.
I know it's been feeling a bit chilly, but I didn't think it was that bad!

Beware, last year, I dried them, then stored them in a supposedly
airtight jar, but within a month they turned mouldy and had to be
chucked!

I suggest you didn't dry them enough before storing. I had similar problems
with my broad beans this year. Kept them on a tray for about 2 weeks,
turning regularly, as soon as they went in a jar they started to have the
occasional moudly one. Had to pour them out, pick out the mouldy ones, then
put back in the jar, then keep jigging it about to get the bottom ones to
the top.

Would drying in a very very cool oven work?

Possibly, as long as you weren't planning on using them for seed next year!

Roger Tonkin wrote:
700 feet up in a very wet and windy mid Wales

Ah, ok, I can appreciate you may get ground frost up there. :-)

On 14 Sep 2010 09:45:51 GMT, wrote:

Given the current weather and the forecast of possible ground
frost at
the weekend, plus the fact we go away for two weeks next Monday, I

think I've got a problem.

Possible ground frost? Where? Blimey. I know it's been feeling a bit
chilly, but I didn't think it was that bad!

You've not had frost this half of the year yet? We had a very mild
one last month sometime, probably the 30th Aug.

Looks like we are intoa northerly flow for the next few days it'll be
getting colder. 15C most of the day but under 10C now that the fronts
have come through, the sky has cleared and the rain stopped.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...


"Roger Tonkin" wrote ...
says...

What's the best way to dry these for use over winter? On the plant or
take
off, shell and lay out?
TIA

I was about to ask the same question - sort of.

Our beans are still red and green, and at the moment show no sign of
ripening/drying on the plants. Given the current weather and the
forecast of possible ground frost at the weekend, plus the fact we go
away for two weeks next Monday, I think I've got a problem.

Is it worth picking them well swollen but still green/red and leaving
them in the garage and hope they'll dry?

Beware, last year, I dried them, then stored them in a supposedly
airtight jar, but within a month they turned mouldy and had to be
chucked!

Would drying in a very very cool oven work?

The only time we had trouble was when we used a sealed jar, leave them in
a paper bag or sack so air can circulate. Alternatively you could invest
in one of these fruit/veg dryers that seem to be appearing on the retail
market these days.

Or you can buy them in tins which cost not much and saves all the worry ;-)
Tina

"Kathy McIntosh" wrote in
:

What's the best way to dry these for use over winter? On the plant or
take off, shell and lay out?
TIA

Answer is to leave them on pod until the pod goes leathery then harvest
them and put them to dry in ONE layer on a tray to dry for a few days, then
harvest some more, and moving the first batch to another more layered tray,
and so on, until they are all dry(maybe Nov. until you have them all)
The beans now should all look shiny, like pottery.
Take out any that are "wrinkled" because they contain some mould/yeast.(and
you dont want it)

Finaly you store the resulted beans, if they have been dried properly they
will last you till your next harvest, or you can use as seed.

How much wind can we take?

Part_No

"Christina Websell" wrote in
:


"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...


"Roger Tonkin" wrote ...
says...

What's the best way to dry these for use over winter? On the plant
or take
off, shell and lay out?
TIA

I was about to ask the same question - sort of.

Our beans are still red and green, and at the moment show no sign of
ripening/drying on the plants. Given the current weather and the
forecast of possible ground frost at the weekend, plus the fact we
go away for two weeks next Monday, I think I've got a problem.

Is it worth picking them well swollen but still green/red and
leaving them in the garage and hope they'll dry?

Beware, last year, I dried them, then stored them in a supposedly
airtight jar, but within a month they turned mouldy and had to be
chucked!

Would drying in a very very cool oven work?

The only time we had trouble was when we used a sealed jar, leave
them in a paper bag or sack so air can circulate. Alternatively you
could invest in one of these fruit/veg dryers that seem to be
appearing on the retail market these days.

Or you can buy them in tins which cost not much and saves all the
worry ;-) Tina



Tins?
Missing the point or WHAT.
Yes...Aldi....Asda.....Morr....damn!

Is there a certain pride in what we managed to grow this year?
Ok. over and out.

Part_No

"Part_No" wrote in message
...
"Christina Websell" wrote in
:


"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...


"Roger Tonkin" wrote ...
says...

What's the best way to dry these for use over winter? On the plant
or take
off, shell and lay out?
TIA

I was about to ask the same question - sort of.

Our beans are still red and green, and at the moment show no sign of
ripening/drying on the plants. Given the current weather and the
forecast of possible ground frost at the weekend, plus the fact we
go away for two weeks next Monday, I think I've got a problem.

Is it worth picking them well swollen but still green/red and
leaving them in the garage and hope they'll dry?

Beware, last year, I dried them, then stored them in a supposedly
airtight jar, but within a month they turned mouldy and had to be
chucked!

Would drying in a very very cool oven work?

The only time we had trouble was when we used a sealed jar, leave
them in a paper bag or sack so air can circulate. Alternatively you
could invest in one of these fruit/veg dryers that seem to be
appearing on the retail market these days.

Or you can buy them in tins which cost not much and saves all the
worry ;-) Tina



Tins?
Missing the point or WHAT.
Yes...Aldi....Asda.....Morr....damn!

Is there a certain pride in what we managed to grow this year?
Ok. over and out.


I never grow anything that I can buy more cheaply. It's a waste of my land.

I grow things because:

1) mine are better
2) I can have things that otherwise I'd not want to spend that much money on
3) to learn
4) for fun

Learning things and enjoying myself are not a waste of my land. But then everyone's values are different.

"Sacha" wrote ...
"Christina Websell" said:
snip

I never grow anything that I can buy more cheaply. It's a waste of my
land.

In a fairly brief period when my family had a veg patch going, that was
our philosophy. There didn't seem much point in growing very standard veg
if you could buy it cheaply and without the tiresome effort. OTOH, this
was well before the current interest in organic food and/or what is put
onto food before we buy and eat it.

I think your last comment is relevant these days, few people now grow to
save money indeed our allotments are so expensive nobody around here could
save money by growing their own (£100+ per annum for 10 rods) especially
when one considers the other costs involved, manure, fertilizer, lime, seed,
tools, travel, .....
If we went along with the cheaper theory we would hardly grow anything,
certainly not potatoes, but we like fresh veg and the varieties we like and
which don't appear in the shops, we also like to know what's in and on our
veg, so to get that we have to grow our own.
This also ignores the fun element, why not grow Borlotti Beans or anything
else just to learn. Most of us here have grown stuff just to see what
happens, so why not veg too.
A Savoy would be a wonderful addition to a flower border. :-)
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Bob Hobden wrote:
save money indeed our allotments are so expensive nobody around here could
save money by growing their own (?100+ per annum for 10 rods) especially
when one considers the other costs involved, manure, fertilizer, lime, seed,

Blimey, that's an expensive allotment!

If we went along with the cheaper theory we would hardly grow anything,
certainly not potatoes, but we like fresh veg and the varieties we like and
which don't appear in the shops, we also like to know what's in and on our
veg, so to get that we have to grow our own.
This also ignores the fun element, why not grow Borlotti Beans or anything
else just to learn. Most of us here have grown stuff just to see what
happens, so why not veg too.

I grow borlotti beans cos they just look so pretty! And it's fun sending
the kids looking for them.

A Savoy would be a wonderful addition to a flower border. :-)

Heh, from here I can see my hanging basket with the Accidental Brussels
Sprout. I have no idea how I accidentally planted a sprout in the hanging
basket when I was making it up, but it is the damned healthiest one I've had
all year! It seems to have escaped the butterfly ravaging the rest got
(despite being outdoors when the rest were indoors!), although it's been a
bit overwhelmed with aphids of late.

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...


"Sacha" wrote ...
"Christina Websell" said:
snip

I never grow anything that I can buy more cheaply. It's a waste of my
land.

In a fairly brief period when my family had a veg patch going, that was
our philosophy. There didn't seem much point in growing very standard
veg if you could buy it cheaply and without the tiresome effort. OTOH,
this was well before the current interest in organic food and/or what is
put onto food before we buy and eat it.

I think your last comment is relevant these days, few people now grow to
save money indeed our allotments are so expensive nobody around here could
save money by growing their own (£100+ per annum for 10 rods) especially
when one considers the other costs involved, manure, fertilizer, lime,
seed, tools, travel, .....
If we went along with the cheaper theory we would hardly grow anything,
certainly not potatoes, but we like fresh veg and the varieties we like
and which don't appear in the shops, we also like to know what's in and on
our veg, so to get that we have to grow our own.
This also ignores the fun element, why not grow Borlotti Beans or anything
else just to learn. Most of us here have grown stuff just to see what
happens, so why not veg too.
A Savoy would be a wonderful addition to a flower border. :-)
--

Nah. Savoys are for the table, chard is for the border.

But I agree with you about the fun element. It's great in spring to see a
row of seedlings appearing, and of course there's nothing like the smug
feeling you get from knowing you grew what's on your plate. I like to sit
down to a meal and say "grew that, grew that, grew that".

I could smug for England.

Steve

In article ,
says...
But I agree with you about the fun element. It's great in spring to see a
row of seedlings appearing, and of course there's nothing like the smug
feeling you get from knowing you grew what's on your plate. I like to sit
down to a meal and say "grew that, grew that, grew that".

I could smug for England.



We usually have our roast dinner on Saturday nights and its great to
think that all the meal is local. Lamb from the farm up the road, all
the veg from the garden, pud is usually fruit from the garden or
hedgerows.

Only things we cant source locally are gravy granules, salt and coffee!
Milk is supposedly Welsh, but there are no dairy farms around here so it
is probably from West Wales!

Smug from Wales

wrote ((SNIP))
Bob Hobden wrote:
save money indeed our allotments are so expensive nobody around here
could
save money by growing their own (£100+ per annum for 10 rods) especially
when one considers the other costs involved, manure, fertilizer, lime,
seed,

Blimey, that's an expensive allotment!

Looked it up, it's actually £11.90 per rod so £119.00 per 10 rods. Probably
the dearest in the country?
There are slight reductions for paying by DD and a 50% reduction for OAPs.
No hoses allowed, water troughs but nothing else provided, I and another
chap cut the grass roadways.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK