I have been advised that instead of consigning Runner Beans that have grown too bulky and stringy to the compost bins,to pod them and cook as you would Broad Beans. I have never tried this,but logically I am sure it is possible. Any suggestions?

I don't know about runners in general, but the white seeded variety 'Czar' can be left until the pods dry and harvested for drying, they make a great substitute for butter beans or Greek Gigandes. In fact, this is the only runner I grow, and only for this purpose.

We had a thread on this last year regarding the safety of using Runner/kidney beans.

They are fine to eat after drying so long as you soak them over night, drain off the water, then boil rapidly for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Slow cooking is out as it actually increases the amount of phytohaemagglutin in the beans if they don't reach a high enough temperature to destroy the toxin.

Red runner/kidney beans contain 20,000 - 70,000 hau of the toxin compared to soaked, drained and well cooked at 200-400 hau which is safe.
White kidney beans contain one third of the toxin when raw, and broad beans have 5 - 10%

Hi Plum Pudding,
There is a bit of a controversy on the term Kidney Bean. There is a Red Kidney Bean grown in Mexico and other South American climbes which are sold in tins in this country and these are the Beans with the very high level of toxin in them. Although people refer to Runner Beans as Kidney Beans the Runner Bean is not the villain of the piece in this instance. On this I am very open to be read the riot act!
I agree wit Tony's posting as Czar, the white flowered Runner Bean, when grown as a pulse makes a very passable Butter Bean and are also a very nice bean to eat fresh as the conventional Runner Bean.
JB.