Growing string beans from immature seeds, possible? Likely results?

[cdf-rom]

Yes, I KNOW that the seeds in the string beans you eat are immature, and you're supposed to let them develop fully before planting them. But the characters in my novel don't know that! And there's nowhere they can get help or information. So please help me with this. They're trying to grow string beans from seeds taken from string beans that were bought at the market and intended to be eaten.

Will anything grow at all? For the purposes of the story, it will be all right if they don't get many string beans to grow from their planting, or if the bushes are stunted, etc. As long as they get a crop and can figure out how to grow them right in subsequent years.

Should they be shelled out and planted, or just plant the whole pod? And would peas be similar? Should they be dried before planting, or allowed to sprout before planting or what?

I'm not interested in learning to garden and I'm not actually going to grow anything. I just want to make this amusing for my readers who are gardeners without making it too disastrous on my characters.

Serious answers only, please. Thanks in advance!

2 OCT 08, 1952 hrs, GMT.