By Slimdil
Northumberland,
United Kingdom 
I am growing runner beans for the first time this year. They're fine - but I was wondering what is the optimum size to pick them. I remember being told not to leave them to get too big as they lose their flavour - but what size is that? At the moment the biggest ones are quite thin but about 4 ins. long. Thanks in advance for any advice.
23 Aug, 2010
Answers
Thanks for that. They will have to be allowed to grow at will tonight as its ****ing down with rain! Hopefully in the morning I'll be at them.
23 Aug, 2010
It's doing that here too...
23 Aug, 2010
If you have a 'stringless' variety you can let them get a bit bigger, but most beans are far tastier if picked smaller and younger.
The main thing to do is to make sure you pick ALL the larger beans each time you harvest. Once a bean plant produces an almost ripe pod it will stop making new beans.
The harder you pick, the more new beans will form, and the longer the season of harvesting you will have.
Check carefully behind the foliage and at the base of the plants to make sure you haven't missed any when picking. Often, in warm weather, you need to pick every two days.
23 Aug, 2010
Previous question
4 inches is plenty big enough to pick if you allow them to get too big they become woody.
23 Aug, 2010