Planning for next year

[PotterWatch]

I am already looking towards what I want to plant next year. This gardening thing is addictive! I have plenty of seeds leftover from this year that I will be able to use again, but I just ordered these seeds from Seed Savers:

Squash, Buttercup OG
Squash, Table Queen
Bean, Calypso OG
Bean, Hidatsa Shield OG
Bean, Ireland Creek Annie OG
Carrot, Dragon
Corn, Blue Jade/Blue Baby OG


I put in some dragon carrots this year but unfortunately they weren't getting the enough water at first and then got overshadowed by my turnips so I only have a few that are still going. Next year, I will know to plant them differently. I have only ever grown beans such as bush or pole beans that are eaten pod and all without drying. The three bean varieties I have ordered are beans that will be dried. Do I just allow them to dry on the plant? Do they have to be dried before use or can they be used fresh? Thanks for any advice!

 

[Kim_NC]

I use this method

- Leave beans on the vine when until they've turned dry and brown and the seeds inside have hardened, but before the pods split open.

- Shell beans by breaking open the dry pods and removing the seeds. Put the shelled beans in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours to kill any bugs or larvae.

- Store dried beans in dry airtight container. Or sometimes I just leave them in the freezer until Spring if I have enough freezer space (LOL...or have fogotten them).

 

[Ridgerunner]

In Southern Californa, you should be able to use Kim's method for the dried beans. It's my preferred method. To me, the big advantage to this method, especially with bush beans, is that you can pull the whole plant and pick the beans off standing up instead of bent over. However, if it sets in wet as the beans are drying on the vine, the beans take forever to dry. Several can rot or mold in the wet weather, especially any that are touching the ground. I've also had several sprout in the pod if it rains while you are waiting on the latecomers to dry, again usually the ones that are touching the ground.

You can pick the beans as the pods start to dry up, hull them out, and dry them on screens. You have to turn them to mix them up regularly so the ones in the middle dry. Not all bean pods turn yellow as the mature (some turn red). I am not familiar with your specific varieties, but I've heard if you pick the beans just as they turn "yellow" and screen dry them, the plant will continue to produce more beans. I have not tried it and suspect you have to pick the beans fairly early in that "turning yellow" process to get the plant to continue production. Don't know for sure though.

With bush beans, you can pull the plants aftert he beans have developed and hang them someplace dry but well ventilated for them to finish drying of you wish and have enough space.

Instead of freezing mine for a few days to kill the bugs, I leave mine in the freezer until I use them. That's me being overcautious against a bean that has not completely dried out going moldy in storage. If you are sure they are all dry, and that might take screen drying, then they will store well in an airtight container.

You can normally eat dried bean varieties as green beans, just like green bean varieties. It might cut into your yield of dried beans, epecially with bush varieties. You can also let your green bean varieties mature and use them as dried beans if you wish. I grow enough green beans to can about 45 pints, usually in three of four cannings, keep picking a section for regular eating but let the rest mature and use them as dried beans. To me, dried Blue Lake tastes a lot like Great Northern dried beans.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Ridge Runner- " You can normally eat dried bean varieties as green beans, just like green bean varieties. It might cut into your yield of dried beans, epecially with bush varieties. You can also let your green bean varieties mature and use them as dried beans if you wish. I grow enough green beans to can about 45 pints, usually in three of four cannings, keep picking a section for regular eating but let the rest mature and use them as dried beans. To me, dried Blue Lake tastes a lot like Great Northern dried beans. "

Thanks! I always wondered how that would work, but hadn't tried it yet.

 

[TanksHill]

DragonL do you have any tips on canning your gr beans? I did some last year and they just had no texture left when we opened them.

I am leaning more towards freezing this year.

gina

 

[vfem]

Glad I found this thread... I need the advice on the Turtle Beans I am growing this year. Must have beans and rice over the winter!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

To me, the most aggrevating thing about growing dried beans is that it takes a long time to hull them out. Somebody on this forum (I think they live on the Washingtom/Idaho border but not sure) in another post said something about threshing them. I could see it working if you can truly get the pods dried. I can't get them dried here since some stay green so late that I have some that rot or sprout in the pod while I'm waiting on the late ones to dry so I did not pay much attention to the actual threshing method. Maybe someone will comment on that.

 

[hoodat]

I use this method

- Leave beans on the vine when until they've turned dry and brown and the seeds inside have hardened, but before the pods split open.

- Shell beans by breaking open the dry pods and removing the seeds. Put the shelled beans in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours to kill any bugs or larvae.

- Store dried beans in dry airtight container. Or sometimes I just leave them in the freezer until Spring if I have enough freezer space (LOL...or have fogotten them).

We always harvested and ate "shelly beans" Those are the beans that have completely formed and the pod is beginning to dry but still flexible. The beans inside the pod are still green but semi dry. They have a different flavor than dried beans and cook quickly.

 

[Kim_NC]

I use this method

- Leave beans on the vine when until they've turned dry and brown and the seeds inside have hardened, but before the pods split open.

- Shell beans by breaking open the dry pods and removing the seeds. Put the shelled beans in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours to kill any bugs or larvae.

- Store dried beans in dry airtight container. Or sometimes I just leave them in the freezer until Spring if I have enough freezer space (LOL...or have fogotten them).

We always harvested and ate "shelly beans" Those are the beans that have completely formed and the pod is beginning to dry but still flexible. The beans inside the pod are still green but semi dry. They have a different flavor than dried beans and cook quickly.

We like beans at that stage too. I like your name for them....clever.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

When canning green beans we would always put the "shelly beans" in with them and cook and can them together. I love canned green beans. We would string, break and shell beans. Measure them out in a gallon jug (over filled) which my granny calls a "cooker of beans". Each cooker of beans gets 1 quart of water, 1 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of salt and 1 cup of sugar. We would then cook the beans until they started to wrinkle a little and are dark green (about 20 minutes). Ladle the beans in quart jars almost to the rim. Then "find" the bean juice in the bottom and fill to the top with juice. Put a hot ring and lid on and wait for the popping sound of the seal. Any unsealed jars would be opened and refrigerated and eaten within the next couple of days. No waste. The beans we use were from my great-great grandmother. We grow a section of "seed bean" to save every year. I don't know what kind they are but they grow long "runners" and are very prolific.

I should add we wash the jars and dry them and put them in a warm oven to keep them hot for the hot beans to go in. We put the lids and rings in a pot of boiling water and have them hot too. I believe its for sterilization and it helps seal the jar. I do not know if this is the best way or even safe, but I'm 38 years old and I have canned beans every year with my granny since I was 8 years old.