Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Harvesting and storage
For the best flavour and texture, pick as soon as the beans have developed inside
the pods. Older beans develop a thick white skin that needs to be removed prior
to cooking. Broad-bean pods can also be eaten whole if they are taken from the
plant when just 6-7cm long and steamed. Beans can be dried for storage and are
a great addition to winter soups, or can be blanched for three minutes before
open freezing.
Plunge frozen beans straight into boiling water without defrosting them first,
and drain and serve as soon as the water comes back to the boil.
A common misunderstanding among many gardeners regarding legumes is that,
because they are 'nitrogen fixing' plants, they enrich the soil simply by growing
in it. In fact, almost all the nitrogen is used by the plant during its life and very
little is left behind in the roots, so as soon as the last of the beans have been
picked the plants can be lifted, roots and all, if you want to use the ground again
straight away. If not, cut the stems off just above ground level and leave the roots
to rot down in the soil. A week or two later you can pull the stem and thicker
pieces of root out without disturbing the ground too much.
Problems
Mice
and
aphids
. To prevent problems with aphids (especially blackfly), nip out
the growing tip and first few inches of stem at the first sign of trouble, or when
the first pods appear, whichever is sooner. Doing this also encourages the plant
to direct its energy into producing bigger beans. Don't throw away the tips unless
the blackflies found them; they are delicious steamed with a little butter.
Beans, dwarf French
Varieties:
'Aquilon', 'Speedy'
French beans grown in the tunnel can be sown earlier and will mature faster than
those grown outside, giving an extension to the season. Dwarf French beans are
ready to harvest a week or two earlier than climbing French beans, making them
an ideal tunnel crop to combine with outdoor sowings of climbing beans, and
giving this delicious vegetable a really long season. The disadvantages of dwarf
beans, namely slug attack and soil splash, leading to poorer pod quality, are
both less of a problem in a polytunnel.
