Borlotti Bean – Barlotta Lingua di Fuoco

Grow borlotti beans to store for stews
These beans add a splash of fun and colour into your garden. This variety of borlotti beans is perfectly suited to our cooler climate. The canes will climb to about 2 metres, so plant at the base of a wigwam or bamboo support. You can harvest young while the pods are green to use as runner beans, or wait until the end of the season when they’ve turned purple if you’d like to pod the beans to store for stews and casseroles. You’ll find plenty of advice in the growing guide that comes with the plug plants.

Number of plants: 10 plug plants

Variety: Barlotta Lingua di Fuoco (organic)

In the kitchen: You can eat these vibrant pods when small and tender (and mostly green) or allow them to reach full size and store the beans inside once the pods have dried and turned a deep purple. With a sweetish flavour and smooth creamy texture, these beans work well in a salad or in a hearty soup or casserole.