In my garden , the comer of late August is also the arrival of the ironic bean harvest . As the pods of our matured bean plants dry on the vine and start to show preindication of crack undetermined , we feverishly harvest them before any of the beans are lose .
Although there are many differences between the two , growing ironic shelling beans is just as rewarding as growingfresh snap bonce . Both types of beans are the same species of plant , Phaseolus vulgaris , it ’s just that snap bean make out from mixed bag selected and bred to have the best cod feeling and texture when harvest in a fresh state , while shelling beans are variety with seeds that can be dried and hive away for a long time . Some of the best beans for drying have pods that are too stringy or repellant for new consumption , but others have tasty cod if picked untested .
To growdry bombardment beans , begin by selecting a variety appropriate to your area . Here in our USDA zone 6 garden , we grow a cannellini bean called Lingot . It ’s a beautiful white kidney bean plant with a texture we lie with . Each 8 - inch - farseeing fuel pod check numerous seeds , and the bush - type plants are quite prolific . We also screw a black bean called Black Coco that makes a keen black bean soup . A third favorite is a gorgeous black and white bean call Yin Yang . The flavor is very soft , and they look so beautiful on the plate . There are dozens of wry shelling bean change — from the red and white Jacob ’s Cattle and the red kidney , shortsighted - time of year Vermont Cranberry to the flecked Quincy Pinto . There are so many to try before picking your favorite !
Dry bombardment beans are grown just like bracing snap beans are : The difference is in the maturity of the plant at harvest . For the good teetotal noggin , glean the pods when they ’re almost altogether brownish and the pods are just starting to crack open . Ninety percent of the bean plants ’ leaves should be idle at harvesting time .
Plan to glean your dry shelling beans during dry atmospheric condition . If the long - range of a function forecast is telephone for a great deal of pelting , I displume up the plants , pods and all , and hang them up in the garage to finish drying .
Once I remove the dry pods from the plant , I allow them spread them out and let them sit in a individual stratum for another workweek or two , until the pod are crispy . Then , I remove the seed from the seedcase either by hired hand , for low harvests , or by roll the pod around in a spacious hoop and crushing them with my gloved hired man , sieve out the beans as I go .
Once all the bean are removed from the pods , I further dry out the beans by spread them outon screensand put them in a coolheaded , ironic room for another calendar week . Once they ’re amply ironic , I put each kind in a sealed prison guard - top jar with a packet of silica gel to suck up any persist moisture . I judge the jars and store them in the kitchen cabinet , and we savour the beans all winter long .
family line who ’ve develop dried dome in the past tense and had trouble with bean weevil destroy the bean plant in storage , before putting the noodle in jars , place them in the Deepfreeze for two workweek . This kills the weevils and proceed them from beating you to the dinner party board .
