Borlotto Beans

Hello everyone,

I bought some of these
http://www.suttons.co.uk/Shop/Veget...+French)+Borlotto+Firetongue+Seeds+197011.htm
and they are growing away in the garden, but I don't know when to pick them! One book says to wait till they start to turn cream. Does this mean they go from speckled to cream, or are they ready when they are speckled. How large do they grow? I know I can dry the seeds, but do I prepare them like runners to cook fresh. I'm sorry for the silly questions. It's just they look ready yet they are small. I know it says dwarf on the pack but they do look rather large on the picture! Thank you for all your help.
Liz :cnfs:

 

I have never grown them but I buy them tinned and they are not much bigger than kidney beans and sometimes but not always speckled.

Sorry I can't be more helpful!

 

tried them this year, not very nice as runners, but if you eat them as broad beans, they are almost as delicious! and if u wana eat them as runners then pick them young when the beans inside hardly formed.

 

I regularly grow these as shelled beans and I harvest them all when some of the shells have turned brown and dry. After shelling them we cook them and freeze in bags, then use as you would canned beans, only tastier. I would be cautious about storing them dried, unless you are sure you can get them absolutely bone dry. I once had a disaster with what I thought were dry beans going mouldy. Obviously not as dry as I thought!

 

Thanks, everyone. That's really helpful. I was intending to have them like broad beans, with maybe some as runners. I might 'runner' a few just to try but keep the rest, as per helpful hints!