Are the red flowering pole type beans edible as dried beans? - Ask Extension
I am harvesting my dried beans from the climbing beans with the red flowers and wonder if they are edible.
Knowledgebase
Are the red flowering pole type beans edible as dried beans? #887847
Asked October 13, 2024, 1:49 PM EDT
I am harvesting my dried beans from the climbing beans with the red flowers and wonder if they are edible.
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
Dear Judy,
If you are referring to scarlet runner beans, Phaseolus coccineus, they are edible. The long green pods may be harvested when they are young and tender, before the seeds begin to form in the pods. The seeds inside the pods can be eaten fresh while still light pink (shelled and cooked like lima beans) or they may be grown to maturity and used as shelling or dry beans, for example, in soups. Here are some links to more information about scarlet runner beans.
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/scarlet-runner-bean-phaseolus-coccineus/
https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=58690
Thank you for your inquiry and enjoy your harvest.
