White Lady Runner Beans

[Beryl]

I have quite a lot of White Lady Runner Beans left on the plants - more than I need to save for seed.
It is a long time since I cooked with dried beans so any tips please? Can I use the beans straight from the plants or should I let them dry completely first. Will they need soaking over-night before cooking?

Thanks.
Beryl.

[Primrose]

Beryl, I suppose you could use them straight from the plant but I suspect the consistency of the starch inside the bean would not have developed, which I suspect happens only in the drying process.If you want to use these surplus beans for cooking I think they'd probably be best dried first. My cooking books recommend that all beans be soaked overnight and then boiled fast for ten minutes, even if they're going to be slow casseroled afterwards. This is because there are some toxins in the beans which are dissipated by the fast boiling process. Raw red kidney beans especially can apparently poison you if this stage isn't carried out. If you have a wide necked thermos flask you can boil the dried soaked beans fast for ten minutes and then put them in the flask with the boiling water and leave for several hours. They will then cook themselves.

[Beryl]

Thanks for that Primrose. I had a feeling they should really be left to dry properly, which I will do before following your instructions.
Useful tip to cook in a thermos - Thanks again.

Beryl.