i planted some flageolets for the first time this year. They are OK, a little thick skinned but that might be my fault for waiting too long to harvest. A few beans were already drying on the vine when i picked them. i thought i would be able to see the beans inside the pod but they never really swelled that much even tho the beans have reached a mature size.

i have a pretty big sackful and would like to freeze them. They make a pretty good bean dip. Do i need to blanch them first? Would it be better to dry them and store in mason jars?

That depends upon the stage they were in when harvested. If the pods were already dry, then dry the beans further after shelling. Keeping your location in mind, you might need to dry them in an air conditioned room, or use desiccant, to lower the moisture content to the proper level. Once properly dried, you can store them in jars in a cool, dark place.

If the beans were harvested in the green shell stage & are still soft, then you have two choices. You could blanch 3 minutes & freeze, which I recommend to preserve their delicate flavor.

If the pods were mostly ripe when harvested, you could also try drying them... but you'd want to dry the pods quickly (preferably under a fan) to avoid mildew. Once dry, shell out the beans, and finish drying as above. These beans might not store as well as those picked fully dry, so use them fairly soon.

The pods on Flagrano seemed to dry first and then lighten. Next time i'm going to try to get them when the pods feel full but haven't begun to dry.

i puree them with lemon juice, garlic and olive oil and call it 'Flageolet Hummus' served with toasted pita chips for dipping. it's an idea i borrowed from a nearby restaurant that serves something they call 'Edamame Hummus' as their bread service. Today i am serving it with curry spiced olive oil floated on top. The puree is also good on toasted crostini topped with cherry tomatoes and sprinkled with minced rosemary.

i am going through my frozen beans very quickly!