Runner Beans Are Great Greens!

Runner beans are one of the easiest garden vegetables to grow and are also an inexpensive way to get those greens to your table and enjoy at least one of your five a day. Part of the legume family of vegetables, they are the ideal plant for the gardening beginner.

They’re grown in the UK as half-hardy annuals because they cannot survive the frost unfortunately. In warmer climates, they are perennials and have been growing for around 2,000 years. Want to try them? Here’s how to do it for yourself!

Growing conditions

They need full sun, although they can survive part-shaded environments just as well, and they do need to be sheltered from the wind so that they don’t droop on you. You must support them as they grow because some varieties can grow to about 6ft in height. There are, however, newer dwarf versions available.

Types of soil to use

Don’t use a soil which is rich in nitrogen because they are able to extract a lot of nitrogen for themselves from the air – they’re pretty clever like that! They need deeply-dug soil with a peat or peat substitute and lots of water – using the peat will ensure that plenty of water is retained under the ground for them. Depending on where you are in the world, it will be easier or more difficult to make sure your beans have lots of water. In the UK, you should have no problem with this!

Best time to plant the seeds

About a week before the last frost is what you should be aiming for. If seedlings appear above the surface and then a bout of frost strike again, it is best to remove them and replant them. From planting to harvest they take about 13 weeks so make sure you keep a note in your gardening calendar! They are in season from June until November in the UK.
They look pretty too! Before the beans grow, you have the pleasure of large foliage and the pretty little red and white flowers which will enhance any garden with their delicacy.

Eating those runner beans once they arrive!

Once picked, you need to eat them quite quickly – within about two to three days – but you can freeze them as well. They have a strong flavour and have quite a coarse texture; more so than the green bean. Top ‘em, tail ‘em and string ‘em, then boil until al dente; that’s the easiest way to cook them. But why stop there? Why not sauté them until crisp and tender with other vegetables and sauces?

So what can you eat them with? Well, they’re the same as any other vegetable. They make a great meal accompaniment to a huge range of foods but some ideas which work particularly well are: niçoise salad; tomato, garlic and chilli meals; curries; most tomato-based dishes; and many more. They’re so versatile that you can invent your own recipes for them or just eat them on their own with a nice plate of meat and potatoes like your gran used to cook.

Throw them into anything and you may even be able to persuade your teenage kids to eat them! Get creative with the runner bean and eat yourself to a healthier lifestyle.