After a short ten weeks the time has come - the first vitamin-rich runner beans are ripe and can be harvested by hand. By then, the long, narrow to round pods have reached a length of 10 to 28 centimeters and taste best as fresh, green beans. But only cooked, please!

Fast Pole Beans

Anyone who sows or plants their runner beans from mid-May can expect the first harvest as early as the end of July. Reseeding is also possible until the end of July, so that fresh runner beans can be harvested until October.

Now they are ripe!

You can tell when your runner beans are ripe by looking at their pods. The sprouts should not yet push through the shell and the pods should break through smoothly when bent.

This is how it is harvested

  • Pick the runner beans carefully with your hands by the thin stalk
  • one hand holds the tendril so that it is not accidentally torn off
  • If possible, do not crush the pods, this reduces their shelf life
  • Prepare damaged pods immediately
  • it is also possible to carefully cut it off with a sharp knife

Harvest tips

  • Never harvest runner beans when it is wet, as pathogens can spread more easily
  • Pick runner beans every 2-4 days, then the plant will bear longer

This is how storage works

Beans are best eaten fresh, but never raw. The toxins in the beans are only broken down by cooking.

Beans can be stored in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for a few days. Boiling and freezing beans will keep them for a few months.

harvesting the seeds

If you want to win bean seeds, you let part of your pods fully ripen. First you dry the pods by hanging them up. Then you remove the seeds and let them dry next to each other.

tips and tricks

Are runner beans growing over your head? Then try the Rakker variety. It grows to a maximum height of 2 meters and you can easily reach anywhere when harvesting.

Category:

Vegetable garden