Fresh, young runner beans are a gem amongst the many wonderful vegetables available during the British summer. At their best they are at once tender, succulent and bursting with flavour. There can be few better ways of serving runner beans than piled onto a plate alongside meltingly soft roast lamb, roast potatoes and gravy, with a good glass of claret or perhaps a Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon to wash it all down.
History
Native to the cooler, high-altitude regions of Central America, runner beans have been known as a food crop for well over 2,000 years. They were brought to the British Isles in the seventeenth century by John Tradescant (gardener to King Charles I) and were grown as a decorative plant before being used as a food in Britain.
Today they are a very popular food in the UK, Italy and Mexico, and are grown and eaten in each of the five continents.
Biology
Phaseolus coccineus has long been a favourite with gardeners due to its beautiful flowers and fast-growing nature. Most of the beans grown in the UK are of the scarlet runner variety.
Nutrition
Runner beans are a good source of vitamin C, folic acid and fibre.
Tags: runner beans
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