Runner beans galore!

[Woody girl]

I have filled the freezer with them eaten them with every meal given them away and made chutney with them. The strings and not so good ones go to my friends chickens in return for eggs. I've tried salting but got a soggy nasty mess, and tried drying them so I have two large jars of dried runner beans. Any other ideas out there? Still got loads to go.

 

[santaman2000]

I love string beans! Wish I were closer.

 

[Janne]

Can them. Add a clove of garlic to each jar, and you will never buy them again from the supermarket!

 

[tankie]

blanch ,dry off , salt and store in a air tight jar , my fave in the winter

 

[baggins]

great ideas. have an uber glut here to. Was thinking of kimchiing a load. But even 3 large kilners wont make a dent in the crop.
Janne, interesting you mention canning. It doesn't seem to be a thing here, i don't think i know anyone who cans anything. Is it a popular method for preserving elsewhere?

 

[Woody girl]

Made more bean chutney today as it's a good trade item and I was pushed for the time needed to do other things. It only takes half an hour to turn 1lb of beans and a couple of onions into chutney! I'll have another go at salting or brineing a jarful but as I said, I ended up with uneatable mess last time I tried. My teenage boyfriends mum used to do them in the 70s. Wish I'd taken note back then how she did it! Don't have many kilner jars left now and have raided all the neighbours recycling bins last night in search of jam jars... found seven in all. So now I can put that 4lb of blackberries and the 3lb of foraged ( scrumped) apples to good use as jam and chutneys too. Then there is the rowan jelly....... Ooh my back aches from all the picking and chopping and hours spend stirring my pan with a smoking wooden spoon.! I'll be glad when it's all done.

 

[Woody girl]

Kimchi sounds a great idea... what's the process?

 

[santaman2000]

great ideas. have an uber glut here to. Was thinking of kimchiing a load. But even 3 large kilners wont make a dent in the crop.
Janne, interesting you mention canning. It doesn't seem to be a thing here, i don't think i know anyone who cans anything. Is it a popular method for preserving elsewhere?

Extremely popular here for fruit. A bit less for vegetables but still popular. British Red talked about it on this forum a few years ago but his chief complaint was the lack of affordable supplies there. You might try his YouTube channel, English Country Life. He does awesome tutorials on a wide variety of subjects about country life including farming and preserving.

 

[baggins]

Here's a link to the site i've used before, although, i do vary things from time to time. I've really found the taste for kimchi, even better than saurkraut.
www.bonappetit.com/recipe/vegetable-kimchi

 

[Janne]

Canning is simple. Gently boil it in salted water, until just ready.
Place in sterilized jars, fill up to top with the boiling water,( place first rubber seal before sterilizing), close lid.
Place jars tightly in a large pan, filled with boiling water ( careful!) then boil for a few minutes. Remove, let cool. Store in a cool dark room.

I do all my jams and preserves like this. Calaloo ( local type of spinach tasting leaves, Okra. Lasts for years!

The biggest risk with canning is that I always burn myself on the boiling water.

What you will have made is exactly like what you buy, but much healthier as there is no metal or plastic inside the jar.

For amount of salt, I like to add a tad more than they recommend.