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Scarlet runner bean vine?

10 years ago

I grow Scarlet runner bean vine every year but I have always been afraid to eat them. I've read that they are only edible when green and young -- like young green beans. I've also read that the dried beans (pink w/ black splotches) can be cooked and eaten. What's the story? has anyone ever eaten them that is still able to convey the experience? lol!

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Comments (6)

Olychick
10 years ago
Don't you love them in the garden? I've always cooked and eaten them just like any other green bean.

Who knew there was an edible landscape forum here?

Here is a link that might be useful: Scarlet runner bean thread
cookie8
10 years ago
I eat the younger ones and have eaten them when they are larger but don't care for them at that state. I save my beans for replanting. I mostly grow them to look pretty in the garden.
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party_music50
Original Author
10 years ago
oilychick, I didn't know there was an edible landscape forum! I checked that thread and see the warnings about some people reacting to eating the beans, but it seems to happen only to a few people and only when they're eaten raw.

I could kick myself for not trying the beans before... and I had no idea that the flowers were edible! I will definitely be sampling those because I always like edible flowers in my salads! :)

We're getting some cool (COLD!) weather now, so they'll start producing heavy again and I will definitely try the younger beans.

Thanks!
Olychick
10 years ago
I think you can have a reaction to anything...I once had a pretty strong reaction to a fava bean flower in a salad (many years ago when people were just beginning to use flowers in salads, maybe 35 or 40 years ago). I have never eaten another flower, just because I'm not willing to take the chance. But I do eat the beans, only when young because they are tough when older and I've never had enough at once to mess with them as ??? what to do you call the seeds? Fresh dried beans? The hummingbirds love the blossoms so much.
party_music50
Original Author
10 years ago
I still remember the first time I ate flowers in a salad.... I was also served fried milkweed pods as a side vegetable. The pods were too mature though, so they had already started to form the silky threads that hold the seeds. yuk. I won't eat those again. lol!
ruimi
10 years ago
Scarlet Runners are a very old variety and still one of the tastiest. Eat them young and keep picking even if you have too many, this keeps them flowering and producing. Pull any old ones off except a few pods for seed. We find they will grow anew from previous roots but plant a few new ones to be sure. Another name is 'Seven Year Bean'
They usually need stringing and slicing but are well worth the trouble. They are good on a tall tripod for ornament
and produce. The dried beans are edible, just treat them as ordinary beans. As far as I know there is nothing poisonous about them. In season we would get two or three kilos every couple of days. Liz with her 'pick'.

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