July's Fourth Veggie in the Spotlight: Runner Beans

Late summer and early autumn are the classic "runner bean season", although harvesting can start as early as June in some areas.

The season starts with fresh, young beans, with delicious, soft pods that simply need to be topped and tailed and briefly steamed. The season ends, however, with rather tough, stringy pods and oversized beans.

Chances are you'll love your runner beans early in the season but might not be quite so keen by the end. Which is why we've recruited the talents of regular VBR reader, Steve in KL, to provide us with a solution for end-of-season bean fatigue ;)

When are Runner Beans in Season in the UK?

Main season is August and September, although there may be some availability as early as June and as late as October

How to Buy, Store and Cook Runner Beans:

Early in the season, the pods are large but the beans are quite small and flat. These will be tender runner beans, suitable for stir fries and quick cooking.

Later in the season, the beans will have developed a tougher, more stringy skin. The pods take much longer to cook and may even get to the size where you'd rather just eat the beans and leave the pods.

Choose pods that feel firm and are undamaged.

Store the pods in a cool, dry place for 3-4 days, preferably in a paper bag in a vegetable drawer, rather than in the fridge. The moist climate in the fridge seems to make runner beans go soft quite quickly.

You can also freeze them. Cut them into chunks and cook them in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain well and freeze in bags.

You can either make a runner bean part of a complete recipe or serve it as a side vegetable.

Runner beans are usually "topped and tailed" (cut off the ends) and then either cut into chunks (1 to 2 inches long) or sliced finely.

If you slice them finely, cooking them is as simple as boiling in water for 3-4 minutes until tender.

If they have got to the tough and stringy stage, you can remove the strings by topping and tailing each bean and then slicing off the long edges. It's a bit more work, but makes them infinitely more edible! Even so, they might take up to 10 minutes to cook.

History of Runner Beans:

Runner beans were brought to this country from Central America in the 17th Century. In their natural habitat they grow high in the mountains and use trees as climbing frames. Grown here, they're prettiest grown against sticks, over arches so the fruit hangs down, or on bamboo "obelisks". They flower beautifully and need to be picked continuously to keep the plant creating more and more.

Runner Bean Recipes:

Runner Bean Stir Fry is a deliciously quick and easy recipe for early seasona runner beans. The ginger and soy in the sauce go well with the sesame seeds and the kidney beans add a wonderful colour and extra protein.

This recipe for Pickled Runner Beans has been provided for us by regular VegBox reader Steve in KL, who himself was given the recipe by his Nan. This is a great way of using those end of season beans, when they're a bit tougher / stringier / you've just had enough of them.

What's the Difference between Runner Beans and French Beans?

French Beans and Runner Beans both belong in the "legumes" family, and French Beans, like Runners, are natives to the Southern American continent where they climb in forests.

French Beans are thinner and rounder than their flat, fat cousins, and are less prolific. And what many people don't know is that they can be extremely ornamental, which is great for home growers. The flowers are white or lilac, and different varieties of French Beans can be yellow, purple, cream and sometimes even slightly patterned.