A good days work OR a day wasted?

[MINESAPINT]

These took the best part of yesterday from picking to freezing. OH not amused and says I am not to grow as many next year. This is about one third of the crop:

[eccentric_emma]

oh but they're so nice though. i bet they'll go in no time. its just peeling and whatnot that takes ages. totally worth it in my opinion. how many plants did you have?

[MINESAPINT]

510

[Mrs Moustoir]

I'd say a good days work!

I love broadies...510 plants - thats a lot.

[Rod in Japan]

My wife says she'll puke if she ever sees another broad bean. I think she's exaggerating.

I had a very abundant year too once, but I didn't even grow 100 beans, and I got grief for producing so many. I think they're wonderful now, even if I didn't think so as a kid.

My commiserations to you.

[marshlander]

Wow, what a lot! Hope you've got a big family! My entire crop, though good for a few plants, gave us a few meals and that was that. We'd have had more but the hens kept digging them up!

[farmerdrea]

Can broad beans be dried and stored that way, or are they not suited to that use? I grow heaps of scarley runner beans, and we eat about 1/4 fresh and the rest I allow to dry on the vine and then it's easy to store and use in soups and stews during the winter.

Cheers
Andrea
NZ

[marshlander]

How about broad bean wine?

http://home.btconnect.com/ntruman/wine/medlarwine.htm

For drying I've grown borlotti beans in the past. I'm growing yin yan this year.

[pumpy]

i would say, an excellent days work. Can they be stored in salt?

[marshlander]

Yes! you can dry broad beans! From Pamela Westland's book, Home Harvest whsmith 1986 isbn 0 7064 2564 2

Haricot beans and marrow fat peas ... leave the plants til ththe pods turn brown then pull them up, tie them in bunches and hand them upside down. Choose a dry covered place with good circulation of air.... When the pods are dry enough to rattle, shell the seeds, spread them on trays and finish drying them in the sun..... Cool them thoroughly before storing in a covered jar.

Broad beans are left to mature in the pod, then shelled and blanced for 2 - 3 minutes in boiling water to stop the growth of harmful enzymes. Drain, cool, and drem them, - a whizz in a salad spinner does this in moments.... spread them on trays to dry

Whole runner beans, french beans and mange tout top and tail, blanch 2-3 mins, cool, dry, tread like necklaces on strings. Hang them our each sunny day but bring them in in the evening so the dew dosn't undo you work.

Peppers, don't need blanching. I've dried them before by just threading whole or half peppers and hanging in the kitchen in a warm sunny place.

Salting is easy, both mum and grandma did it. Just top and tail then slice the beans. Layer in a jar or crock ( never metal) with half their weight of course salt. cover and leave in a cool dark place. Before cooking, soak them overnight in fresh water.

Grandma also stored eggs in isingglass (basically, gelatine) but thats another story!

[ina]

If you were anywhere near me, I'd be round like a shot and relieve you of some of that harvest! I do have a few coming on, but it won't be more than a couple of meals or so...

[Peggy Sue]

I know you can make nice runner bean chutney...must be able to do it with broad beans too? But they really are so nice just as veg

I didn't count my plants but I grew 4 packets of them, one of the varieties Aquadulce yielded more than the other 3 packets together!

[Ratty]

Yummy! A very worthwhile day I reckon. I spent an hour shelling enough beans for just one meal last week. But I found it strangely therapeutic - sitting ouside and shelling broad beans is food for the soul too!

[QuizMaster]

The first year I grew an excessive amount of courgettes, my wife did actually start puking at the sight of them.
It turned out to be for a good reason!

[red]

good harvest - but do you really eat that many in a year? if so fine! if not... maybe something else instead of half the plants!