I have been wanting to grow shelled beans, Red Kidney Beans, Navy Beans, Pintos. Is anyone growing beans to shell? How do you shell your beans?
When I was a kid 55 years ago the family did shelled beans. Soon as pods were full of big large beans and pods started turning yellow and dried out we harvested the pods. The pods all went to a large 4'x12' table in the barn to dry where they got stirred around every day. About October we filled burlap bags with bean pods and beat the bags against trees to break up the pods. Shake the bags beans sift to the bottom, large pieces of pods are on top easy to pull out and throw on the garden. On a very windy day slowly pour the bags on a very large cloth the wind blows away the small pod pieces leaving all the beans on the cloth. Beans all went into paper bags then the paper bags went into the house ready to, wash, cook and eat. It is easier than it sounds. I would like to have 50 lbs of dried beans in the kitchen pantry.
Has anything changed in the past 55 years?
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applestar
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LOL Everything I grow are in much smaller scale -- I feel like I'm "playing house" compared to you and some of the other *serious* gardeners. My Dad used to say "well *I* grow to put food on the table" vs. my interest which is more simply to watch things grow and try different ways to grow them, harvest being secondary at first, then evolving into search for best tasting varieties, which has tended to be small quantity harvest of vast varieties.
Often with beans, I'm growing small samples to grow enough for more substantial seed stock for later growing.
It so happens I didn't grow much beans this year, but last year I grew adzuki beans and in previous years, I've tried Old Mother Stallards, Runner Beans, and also Kentucky Wonder and Purple Podded Pole beans left to mature. For each, I ended up with maybe 3-4 pounds of dried beans -- I have about a dozen small heavy cotton cinch sacks -- maybe steno pad size? -- that I got at a store closing sale that are perfect for keeping shelled dry beans. Since I only use 1/2 to 1 cup of dry beans at a time when cooking them, this has been plenty satisfying.
...what is 50 lbs of dry beans like? A pillowcase full?...
I harvested the pods when the "neck" of the pods became paper thin - felt flat when held between thumb and forefinger - then dried them fully in front of the fan/space heater. Then shelled them by hand individually at leisure while watching tv or listening to music.
Haha. Probably does not even come close to answering your query.
Often with beans, I'm growing small samples to grow enough for more substantial seed stock for later growing.
It so happens I didn't grow much beans this year, but last year I grew adzuki beans and in previous years, I've tried Old Mother Stallards, Runner Beans, and also Kentucky Wonder and Purple Podded Pole beans left to mature. For each, I ended up with maybe 3-4 pounds of dried beans -- I have about a dozen small heavy cotton cinch sacks -- maybe steno pad size? -- that I got at a store closing sale that are perfect for keeping shelled dry beans. Since I only use 1/2 to 1 cup of dry beans at a time when cooking them, this has been plenty satisfying.
...what is 50 lbs of dry beans like? A pillowcase full?...
I harvested the pods when the "neck" of the pods became paper thin - felt flat when held between thumb and forefinger - then dried them fully in front of the fan/space heater. Then shelled them by hand individually at leisure while watching tv or listening to music.
Haha. Probably does not even come close to answering your query.
I buy flour by the 25 lb. bag and near the flour are red beans sold by the 50 lb. bag. That bag of red beans is as big as a 50 lb. bag of flour-----so a good bit bigger than a pillowcase.
I remember as a kid one of my aunts would go to the French Quarter Farmer's Market a couple times a year and buy vegetables in bulk by the bushel. She's get crowder peas and we'd sit there and shell them while watching tv on a Sunday night. We'd also spend the better part of an evening cutting okra when she'd get it too by the bushel. She'd bring it home and rinse it off, lay it outside on a big table to dry off and then bring it inside to cut into 1/2 inch thick rings and she'd use that for gumbo's, soups and just smothered down as a side dish.
I've never grown beans to shell since I don't grow in that quantity. The only beans I grow in bulk are soybeans I use for edamame and they aren't shelled until they are eaten from the pods.
I remember as a kid one of my aunts would go to the French Quarter Farmer's Market a couple times a year and buy vegetables in bulk by the bushel. She's get crowder peas and we'd sit there and shell them while watching tv on a Sunday night. We'd also spend the better part of an evening cutting okra when she'd get it too by the bushel. She'd bring it home and rinse it off, lay it outside on a big table to dry off and then bring it inside to cut into 1/2 inch thick rings and she'd use that for gumbo's, soups and just smothered down as a side dish.
I've never grown beans to shell since I don't grow in that quantity. The only beans I grow in bulk are soybeans I use for edamame and they aren't shelled until they are eaten from the pods.