Dry Shelling Beans
Posted on by Terrie
Cascading Kitchen Notes
Notes
Storing and Preparing Dry Shelling Beans
or saving bean seeds for your next garden.
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.
Process
- Pick mature green beans from the plant, preferably when they’re not damp. You should be able to feel the seeds in the pod. Don’t pick damaged bean pods, or if they have any slime on them.
- Lay the bean pods out on a tray, un-shelled and uncrowded. Allow to air dry in a dry place. I put them on the floor next to our wood stove. Don’t put them in the garage or laundry room where there’s too much moisture. They’ll rot. If you have a walk in pantry that stays cool, that’s perfect and you can keep an eye on them. This could take a week or two. Keep an eye on them and remove any that are rotting.
- Once they have dried, really dried, you can remove them from the pods. The pods will be papery, and crackly and the beans should easily come away.
- Now you can store them in a tight container, out of sunlight. NOT on the counter, though I understand the desire to show them off.
How to use:
- Serve in a salad or
- Soup
- 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.
- Fresh Mimimince with white beans and Nuoc Cham
- Plant in your garden. Learn more about saving seeds.