Paula Foreman was the first one to introduce me to the idea of growing dry beans. I love dry beans but being so cheap and nutritous in the stores I never thought I would be growing them. However Foreman convinced me it was easy and fun to grow these beans. Last year I experimented with a few packets of seeds and liked the results but only ended up with a couple quarts of beans. This year we did 3 whole rows, 250 feet long. That should be plenty of beans, but I honestly am kind of regreting it.

The pods dry by themselves on the plant so that is easy enough, however then you have to pick them and get the pods out. Last night Avril and Mavis and I were working on them and it was taking so long. I probably have 7 bushels of beans to work through and a brithday party coming up in a couple weeks. My kitchen is filled with boxes of beans and fruit to preserve. I don’t know what I was thinking.

Well I know what I was thinking of–this

So far this is all I got but from a half bushel. I ordered Hutterite soup beans from Seed Savers Exchange. This is what the catalogue says, “One of the beast heirloom varieties for making soup. Beans soak up water well and cook very quickly. makes a truly excellent creamy white soup. Very productive, greenish yellow seeds with a distinctive dark ring around the eye.”

Proeun said next year he would build me a shucker. I can’t wait.