# My green beans are TOO big - HELP!



## heather

My green & wax beans are (I think) way too big to eat 
(we usually eat the smaller ones steamed & whole)

What can I do with them?

Should I cut them, blanch & freeze?
Or
Should I let them dry & store them?
Or
???

I have never had my beans do so well that I could not keep up with them....I sure hope I haven't let them go too long that I've wasted them

Here's a photo of some of them - you can see the bean seed at the right from inside one of them.
The beans pods are approx. 6 inches long


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## rocket

Some of mine always get too big too. If they're not too big, I usually still get away with eating them. But if they're really too big to use as green beans, you might try them as fresh shelling beans or leave them to dry on the plant to use as dry beans. Or seed for next year!


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## heather

rocket said:


> Some of mine always get too big too. If they're not too big, I usually still get away with eating them. But if they're really too big to use as green beans, you might try them as fresh shelling beans or leave them to dry on the plant to use as dry beans. Or seed for next year!


So, if I want to dry them, I need to leave them on the plant?

And how would I use them as "fresh shelling beans"?

(  You can tell I've never had my beans do this well!! - it's Martin's fault!)


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## MELOC

we grew them one year with your stage of growth as the target. they make awesome soup that way. no need to soak the beans for half a day, just cook them.


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## heather

MELOC said:


> we grew them one year with your stage of growth as the target. they make awesome soup that way. no need to soak the beans for half a day, just cook them.


great idea!
I can do that with some of them, but I have tons & tons of them!

how should I preserve the rest??

THANKS EVERYONE - I feel like a real newbie asking these questions about a simple thing like beans, but I really just have never had them do this well before - we've only ever had enough to eat & maybe freeze a few, but I am overwhelmed with the harvest & hate to lose them

Plus, I'm canning tomatoes today & my brain & my back are shot!!


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## marvella

yep, shell 'em. that's the preferered way in the south. you can also add them into some smaller green beans. family fav! they freeze nicely, and make a nice quick meal.


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## rocket

Fresh shelling means just taking the beans out of the shell without drying them. And MELOC is right, I think they make even better soup than the dried ones.

I'm not sure how well drying after picking would work. I've only dried them on the plant.


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## heather

marvella said:


> family fav! they freeze nicely, and make a nice quick meal.


Okay, work slowly with me  

I take them out of the pods & cook (boil?) them & put them on rice? or in a sauce? or ?

And/or for freezing I can take them out of the pods & throw them in a freezer bag? or ?

THANKS guys!


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## Ravenlost

You can use them lots of ways. You can cook them in water with salt, butter and/or other seasonings (my hubby likes a little Cajun seasoning in his beans) and serve them as a side dish.

To freeze just shell, wash, blanch, cool and freeze.


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## marvella

To freeze just shell, wash, blanch, cool and freeze


ooooorrrr you can do it the way i do.  

shell, toss into freezer bag and freeze. i figure they're clean, they've been inside the pod their whole lives.


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## junie

Are you sure they're too big? Try snapping one of them. If they snap, and don't feel rubbery, they're still good to eat in the usual way. My beans did very well this year, too, and some of them are huge (but they're still good to eat fresh and haven't gotten rubbery yet)


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## heather

No, these have definitely lost their Snap!  

THANKS everyone -
I have never been much of a bean seed eater -
I like them with the pods on but it's taken me years to eat & like black beans, kidney beans, etc.
So, I don't have much experience using them that way - THANKS!


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## junie

I asked my sister about this, since she has more experience with green beans than I do. She said to let them dry on the vine, then shell them. Make sure they are thoroughly dry before storing (you can keep them in a jar). 

She said that dried green bean seeds don't have as much flavor as other dried beans, which you might consider a plus. She, also, said she prefers them added to a pot of vegetable soup.


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## mommagoose_99

make dilly beans mmmmm


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## themamahen

Lol was laughing as I read this, I think MOST of us have had that happened and we always shelled the bigger ones and just tosed them in with the younger ones they are very good like that as marvella said. you can pick them now shell em all and cook them just like you would a pinto bean or you can let them hang on the plant and dry (my least fav) as you know the more you pick the more they put on  you can pick and shell em and then dry them on papers or you can shell and freeze em they MOST certainly are NOT wasted yet


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