I would chalk it up as a lesson learned and toss the beans that got too big. Leave some on the stalks to dry and pick them later when the shells are crisp. Shell them and store in a dry place and plant the seeds next year or the year after. Bean seeds are viable for years, if properly stored.

I do that - I hate to waste anything, too.

They are pretty starchy tasting by themselves, but they work great in soup.

So could I use them for something like ham and bean soup? SHould I freeze them or let them dry out?

I would never throw them away...I would cook them and enjoy them or I would let them continue to dry and use them later as dried beans.

You can freeze them or dry them ...which ever is easiest for you. If they are still moist, I freeze them, if they are closer to dry, I dry them, put them in a jar and store them in the pantry. I'll sometimes stick the jar in the freezer for a few days...someone once told me too and I can't remember why now...I think it had to do with any critters that might be in the beans but I discard anything questionable.

We all miss some now and then when picking and discover them later when they are monsters. We pick and shell ours and like Ruthie said, if mostly dry we air dry them more and save for seed next year but if still good and moist we blanch and freeze them for vegetable soup in the winter.

Many times you can tell just by looking at the pod how dry they are and if already really dry just leave them on the vine to finish drying for seed.

Dave

Yep, what Ruthie said.

Now, you didn't say if they were pole beans or bush beans.

If they are pole beans, I would pick all mature / over mature beans now. If you don't, your plants will quit producing. I don't know what Zone you're in, but you should be able to harvest pole beans into mid/late September.

Bush beans generally produce one flush of beans, then they're done. I have read that if you cut your bush beans down to six inches (some folks use a lawnmower!), they will come back and produce another flush. I've never tried it so I don't know if it works or not. I guess it would also depend on your Zone as well.

Anyway, throwing them away should be your last choice! You should either freeze or shell, depending on moisture content, as others have said above.

Good luck.

Rick

I agree with the above posters, I've often used the overgrown beans for shelling, then dried them in the dehydrator and used them later for soup. They're good, but not worth that much work for me to do it on purpose, it would have to be a situation like yours for me to do that.

As was also mentioned by Rick, if you don't pick the beans off the pole beans, your plants will stop bearing, having done their job by producing seeds for more plants. I get one or two big pickings of bush beans, but as long as I keep picking, I'll get smaller amounts until the bushes freeze or I get disgusted with bean picking and pull the things up and feed them to the cows.

Annie