Drying bean question

[obsessed]

Does anybody grow any drying bean? How much space do you need and it is worth it for a small gardener? Always read the cool
descriptions in the magazines and wonder if should incorporate them into my garden.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I grow black beans because my wife asks me to. In my personal opinion, they are not worth the effort. They take up a fair amount of space and require a fair amount of work. Not just the planting, weeding, mulching, possibly staking (I use a bush variety so I at least skip the staking) but the picking and shelling. They are just too cheap at the store for the work involved and I don't see a noticable difference in quality.

One thing I willingly do. After I have finished canning and freezing all the green beans I want, I keep picking a small section for the table and let the rest go to dried beans. I raised Blue Lake green beans last year and they make a great dried bean for soups.

That's my personal opinion. I'm sure others feel differently. It will be interesting to see what others say.

 

[patandchickens]

I 101% agree with every part of Ridgerunner's reply above


Pat