I don't know if I can technically count this as a harvest for 2010, but these are beans I picked from the dying vines before leaving for Arizona last fall, and left to dry in the laundry room window. Last week I shelled them, but many of them were just too young and underdeveloped, and had kind of shriveled up. There were enough good ones, however, for a pot of soup!
I ended up with a bit over a cup of dried beans for the soup, and another 1/4 cup or so to use as seeds in this year's garden.
I did have a small harvest of something fresh, and these chives tasted wonderful mixed with sour cream and butter, served on a baked potato, and also in our dinner salads.
I don't know if I can technically count this as a harvest for 2010, but these are beans I picked from the dying vines before leaving for Arizona last fall, and left to dry in the laundry room window. Last week I shelled them, but many of them were just too young and underdeveloped, and had kind of shriveled up. There were enough good ones, however, for a pot of soup!
I ended up with a bit over a cup of dried beans for the soup, and another 1/4 cup or so to use as seeds in this year's garden.
I did have a small harvest of something fresh, and these chives tasted wonderful mixed with sour cream and butter, served on a baked potato, and also in our dinner salads. 
I so love the look of beans in a jar. I would love to have a pantry all decked out with jarred up beans.
ReplyDeleteGranny, now you have me wanting a chive topped tater.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to beans, I'm a bit retarded. Raised in a traditional asian household, all we ate was rice. I'm not growing any shell beans this summer but will fit some in next year hopefully.
ReplyDeleteI'm of the opinion that if you didn't count this in your harvest totals last year, it counts now. But that's just because I like you. Hahaha.
I'd definitely count that as a harvest AG...what variety of beans were these?
ReplyDeleteOoooh, chives and potatoes. With kale, that would be a great lunch.
ReplyDeleteDaphne, I'd even go for an open kitchen cabinet full of jarred beans. If my dry beans do well this year, I'll have to replace the sugar, popcorn and split peas that are in my glass canisters on the counter.
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Thanks, Jennifer. The harvests will get larger, it just takes time. So much time ;-)
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Kelly, I just love 'em! Too bad it wasn't a freshly dug, home grown potato.
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OK, Thomas, you talked me into it. I like you, too. Or did you already notice that?
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OK, Sunny, you and Thomas rule. I'll add those few ounces of beans to my total ;-)
Those are actually last years green beans, not really a drying or soup bean, but I don't know why they wouldn't taste just fine. They are Kentucky Blue, and I saved the seed....I don't know if I'll end up with "Kentucky Wonder" or "Blue Lake" or "Inedible", but they should give me something! I have Fortex, from Daphne, as my main bean this year, so if my saved seeds don't work out I'll have a backup.
I'll bet the dried beans are tasty. We always used the overgrown green beans as "shellys", whether they were still fresh or dried.
ReplyDeleteOf course, what they grow into is another story!
I'm envious of the chives. None of mine are very far along. I had to look hard to find a few to snip for a salad.
Last year was the first year in a long time that I didn’t grow Kentucky Wonder beans. When we get enough for the freezer we let the rest mature into dried beans. They are a darker bean than your photo but the absolute best ham and bean soup I have ever tasted. John
ReplyDeleteVillager, I love shelly beans.
ReplyDeleteAll of my chives are tall and green. I was going to move them to another part of the garden this spring, but I think I'll just let them be...they are happy!
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John, I'll cook mine this week and let you know just how good they are. I'm planning on a bean chowder.
The chives look lovely and I totally count those dry beens amoung your harvest.
ReplyDeleteOttawa Gardener, the beans have been counted ;-)
ReplyDeleteThe chives were so good. It really seems like spring when I can get something fresh and green from the garden.
That's a lovely jar of dried beans! Like Daphne, I think jars of different dried beans are very beautiful. There is such variety in beans and the colors and sizes are so interesting. I have dried beans going into the garden for 2010. Last time I grew dried beans was 2007 - so it was time!
ReplyDeleteKitsap, thanks to Daphne, I'll be growing two varieties of dried beans this year.
ReplyDeleteAh, the beanage! I'd soak that lot, then get them in a pan with some salted cod, squid and herby sausage. A fish cassoulet is a fine thing indeed.
ReplyDeleteNo, TIG, I don't want to cover up a good tasting vegetable with all of that meat & fish. I much prefer keeping the meal vegetarian.
ReplyDelete;-) I'm just teasing you of course, but I have been turned off of fish lately. I bought two large packages of frozen Talapia fillets, and was not happy with the flavor. My overweight dog, Annie, is enjoying the error of my purchase, and it is doing lovely things to her figure. The beans will be made into a simple bean chowder, for a simple old Granny.
The beans look good! I hope the beans grow better here this year. I barely picked a basket full last season due to the cool and wet season.
ReplyDeleteDan, I thought I had an overload of green (and burgundy) beans last year, but I just dug the last bag out of the freezer a week ago. It had a lot of frost burn, so I do think I'll invest in a Food Saver vacuum system this year, and grow even more beans. Both of the dogs eat green beans, brown rice and chicken every day. Too bad I can't grow the brown rice and chicken!
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