Borlottie Beans

[pelmetman]

I know we've spoken about BBs before but I need some help please.

We've had a reasonable crop this season and I have done all the drying, freezing, drying bit and now have them in airtight containers, and very pretty they look to.

I think we will probably use the bulk of them in soups, do I just add them to the pot or do they need soaking overnight like some pulses do?

Sue

[theabsinthefairy]

It depends on how long you intend to simmer your soup for.

When I am making overnight stews and two day curries, I just throw them straight in.

If I am making something that only needs an hour or so cooking time, I 'quick soak' them, so I stick them in hot water for a couple of hours before using them.

If I am really planning ahead I will cold soak them overnight.

[Christine]

I grew them for the first time this year - what a result! they are delicious taken off the plant as soon as the green has faded from the pods and I added them to lovely lamb casseroles and Spanish-style bean stews. Unfortunately, the local squirrel helped itself to the ones left on the plants to ripen, and the ones it left were starting to rot, so I won't make that mistake again. Definitely a convert, though.

[okra]

I know we've spoken about BBs before but I need some help please.

We've had a reasonable crop this season and I have done all the drying, freezing, drying bit and now have them in airtight containers, and very pretty they look to.

I think we will probably use the bulk of them in soups, do I just add them to the pot or do they need soaking overnight like some pulses do?

Sue

Hi,

Although soaking is not necessary it does speed up the cooking time,saving a bit of fuel, about 5 hours is enough - so soak them in the morning rather than overnight

[contadina]

Both taste and texture are better when soaked.

[Odsox]

Both taste and texture are better when soaked.

I agree, and I can't understand why they aren't more popular as (in my opinion) they knock spots off haricot beans.
I always initially fast boil for 5 minutes to get rid of the toxins ... are you all saying that's not necessary with Borlotto ?

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Both taste and texture are better when soaked.

I agree, and I can't understand why they aren't more popular as (in my opinion) they knock spots off haricot beans.
I always initially fast boil for 5 minutes to get rid of the toxins ... are you all saying that's not necessary with Borlotto ?

I believe that the toxic form of lechtin (sp?) that can cause upset is present in all strains of the common bean, but is most pronounced in red kidney beans. I boil them all on general principle. It is common wisdom around here that slow cooking dried or semi-dired beans without a boiling can actually concentrate the toxin, though if it is a varity with little in the first place it probably wouldn't make a lot of difference.

[Christine]

Both taste and texture are better when soaked.

I agree, and I can't understand why they aren't more popular as (in my opinion) they knock spots off haricot beans.
?

The packet I used had both names - Borlotti and Haricot - are they the same bean?

[grahamhobbs]

Not certain about this, and there could be some confusion because one word is italien and the other french, and something maybe gets lost in translation, but Borlotti I take as the roundish red flecked beans and haricots are the smaller elongated bean that you get from french beans (generally selected varieties) when they ripen.

[Odsox]

Yes sorry, it is one of those ambiguous terms.
In the strict sense haricot is just the French name for beans, any sort of bean, both dried and fresh ... runner beans would be haricot vert.
In England haricot beans are as Graham says, small white dried beans from French bean plants and is the bean of the tinned baked beans fame.
I should maybe have been a tad more precise in my comparisons.

[contadina]

If they small and white - they'll be haricot/tondini/navy beans and if they are red and flecked they'll be borlotti.

I just saw this on wiki.fr...Le haricot marbré, ou coco rose ou haricot borlotti, est un haricot veiné de rouge foncé, so it looks like all beans can be called haricot in France, but you definitely have borlotti. It's the same in Italy, where all beans are collectively called fagiole and no one uses precise names for different beans. Even more confusing, all root veg are called carote .

[Millymollymandy]

There's a Breton bean sold here (as a fresh bean pod) in the supermarkets called Coco de Paimpol which looks identical to borlotti. I haven't ever bought any though.

Runner beans here are called Haricot d'Espagne, why they call them Spanish beans I don't know cos they don't do well in hot climates.

Edit: Ah they are mostly grown as climbing flowering ORNAMENTAL plants! http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haricot_d'Espagne

[The Riff-Raff Element]

There's a Breton bean sold here (as a fresh bean pod) in the supermarkets called Coco de Paimpol which looks identical to borlotti.

It's all very regional! The local haricot of the Vendée is called the mogette and is traditionally cooked to a texture not unlike refried beans and served with Vendéen ham.

I've seen pretty much every shape size and colour of bean in seed selections here with the notable exceptions of black eyed beans and brown beans.

[grahamhobbs]

Odsox, the true 'baked bean' I believe is the italien cannalloni bean. I've not grown it, but I guess it is a variety of what we would call a french bean.

[Odsox]

Odsox, the true 'baked bean' I believe is the italien cannalloni bean. I've not grown it, but I guess it is a variety of what we would call a french bean.

Could well be Graham, but I was talking about the commercial tinned ones and I don't think those beans are anywhere big enough to be cannelloni beans. The dried cannelloni beans that I have are about twice as big as the so called haricot bean.

I'm surprised that the EC hasn't stepped in and standardised this whole mess of beans.