Storing and Preparing Dry Shelling Beans

What do you do with dry shelling beans?

• Remove the beans from their pods
• Dry on a tray for several days. 
• Store them in a glass jar.

This is another example of mother nature's food preservation; a gift of nutritious food in the winter when the farm is at rest.

Preparation

If you’ve just picked these beans, they’re not fully dried so they might take less time to cook than grocery store dry beans. Of course you need to remove them from the pod.

• Bring unsalted water (enough to amply cover them) to a boil and turn down to an active simmer (small bubbles in the water).
• Add beans and test after 10 min, and every 5 min. thereafter.  Once the texture is creamy and smooth, remove from the heat and drain.
• Add enough salt to make them taste good to your palate.

How to use:

1. Serve in a salad or
2. Soup
3. Try this option:  Dice up tomatoes, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.  Add cooked shelling beans, some last -of -the-season basil or other herb and a glug of olive oil.  Talk about seasonal celebration!  Serve with some nice, warm bread or good crackers.
4.   Fresh Mimimince with white beans and Nuoc Cham