First runners

Had my first feed of Runner Beans this evening. I've been eating Cobras out of the tunnel for a couple of weeks and they wouldn't come near the runners for flavour.

Had our first runners from the tunnel about 2 weeks ago but since then they have been a disaster. Guess its to hot but all the flowers have dropped off and no sign of beans forming. Hopefully they will get a second wind and will have a few to freeze. French beans are going great.

Mumble Mumble Mumble. Mine are up the top of the frame but the blossoms just fall off!!!

Runner beans seemed to have recovered and are starting to produce again.
How are yours now Wayland?
I sprayed the leaves and blossom with water and it seems to have helped.

Hi Deryn. Our runners are now at last starting to set fruit. We had our first feed off them a couple of days ago. Fingers crossed we may get a late glut. Not so the main crop peas. Gave up completely.

I am swamped with runners. I'm eating as many as I can, giving away lots and salting down buckets of them for the winter. I'm having to pick every second day and each picking yields a bucketful. I'm glad now that I decided to pick only half the row and allowed the other half to set seed and be harvested as dried beans.

We are getting a few meals in the week and the plants are now blooming well, so things are looking up. We should still have enough of the year left to be able to store some form the winter. Sean. I remember my Gran salting runners but only ever froze them meself. Do you find salting a better option?

I find salting better myself. I remember John Seymour saying: "Some people freeze runner beans - they're crazy! Salting is way easier." I wouldn't go quite that far, but salting is very quick and easy, doesn't use up valuable freezer space and I think they taste far better than frozen ones. You must slice them up properly ( I use a little bean slicer I bought for a couple of euros on ebay) and use good salt - not table salt - I use sea salt. Big plastic bucket with a lid - every second day, just slice your excess runners, toss 'em in salt, throw 'em into the bucket on top of the last lot, press down and sprinkle a bit more salt on top. Stick on the lid and do the same the next day and so on till the bucket's full. When you decide you want runners for dinner, pull out a fist or two in the morning and shove 'em in a pan of water. By dinner time they're ready to cook and taste every bit as good as fresh - maybe even better!