Like all fresh produce runner beans are best cooked and eaten as soon as possible after picking. In the UK where I live July/August are the months to harvest runner beans. I love nothing more than picking a handful to have with my evening meal.
Runner bean plants are quite prolific, and even my small allotment produces far more than I can eat fresh so the majority of the crop is destined for the freezer. Choose only young beans, old ones can be stringy and tough making them unpleasant to eat.
Ideal beans will snap when broken and if you can’t use them that day they will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Preparing The Beans
Wash the beans thoroughly and top and tail them by cutting the tips off each end. The beans should then be sliced, usually diagonally to create strips.
I can slice a handful of beans for my dinner with a sharp knife quite quickly but if you are preparing a lot of beans for the family or in preparation for freezing you may find it easier with a bean slicing tool.
Produce From Our Allotment
This recipe is one from my allotment produce collection. I try and grow as many of my favourite vegetables as possible. Fresh veg is packed full of goodness and just tastes better than shop-bought produce. Pick some sweetcorn or green beans for example and cook them within an hour or two, they taste amazing, sweet and crunchy. You can’t beat it.
I have collected together recipes which I think will bring out the best of my homegrown salad, fruit and vegetables. Just remember to wash and prepare your produce thoroughly before cooking and/or eating it. As the old saying goes “there is only one thing worse than finding a maggot in an apple and that is finding half a maggot”.
Alternative Cooking Methods
I prefer my beans cooked fairly quickly in boiling water for 5-8 minutes but alternatively, you can steam them for 15-20 minutes or stir-fry them for 3-5 minutes
How To Cook Runner Beans
Ingredients
- Prepared runner beans
- Salt
Instructions
- Bring a pan of salted water sufficient to cover the beans to a boil.
- Add the beans and cook until tender. This will take 5-8 minutes depending on how thinly you slice them.
- Drain thoroughly and serve.
You may also like one of my other recipes …
