# what to do with greenbeans that got to big?



## collegeboundgal (Jul 17, 2005)

didn't get a chance to pick greenbeans (mostly pole beans) for several days and most are REALLY big.:runforhills: I have a french greenbean slicer but they seem to jam up in it. the beans are too small to dry (I already picked them) and I just think they would be tough and tastless if I tried to canned them. not to mention the strings to deal with. are they livestock feed or has anyone had success at salviging them?


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

Let them go to seed. Either save the seed or thresh them out and eat them as dry beans. Or, you can eat them as shelly beans.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

If you let them go to seed, it will really diminsh the quantity of beans the vines will produce. A bean vine's main goal in life is to reproduce seed. Once it has accomplished that, it has no need to continue to produce beans.

I would can them anyway. I've done this before and the results weren't bad at all. Make sure to string them.


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

I actually liked the larger green beans I canned better then the small ones I usually do as they seem to hold up better as far as firmness.


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## Sherry in Iowa (Jan 10, 2010)

My dad, bless his heart, had a great recipe for using these big beans..he pickled them. I love them and do the same thing now when I have too big of green or yellow beans!


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## Tinga (Jul 24, 2011)

Dilly bean them... YUMMY


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

I've used them in canned soups, too.


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## collegeboundgal (Jul 17, 2005)

thanks for the ideas. the beans are already picked as I wanted the plants to produce more pods. just did know if anyone had been able to make them edible at this size...


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

Whenever my mom's beans would get too big and tough, she would boil the heck out of them, then drain the water off, pour in an inch or so of milk, and add butter and cook them a bit more. I believe that the milk would tenderize them. Whatever it did, it was very good. I tend to pick mine pretty small, but I might just leave a few to do this with this year!


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## tripletmom (Feb 4, 2005)

I like to can the bigger ones also.


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