Preserving the harvest: dried beans.
When I asked a farmer for these lovely dried October beans, he was surprised. People buy them fresh for shelling, but not for drying. The same goes for limas and butterbeans.
Have people forgotten about dried beans altogether?
Someone said “they’re too much work.” Not really. Not if you’re the kind of person who likes to sit on the back porch with a glass of wine every once in a while. Why not shell beans and drink wine? Why not have a bean-shelling party if you have a bunch?
Freshly dried beans are a revelation. I’m not exaggerating.
People who know him will tell you that this boy of mine can be picky. He was not a bean-eater before he met me. A few years ago, I fed him some big, meaty white beans I’d grown in my garden. Just boiled up and served with salt, olive oil, garlic, and rosemary. I got the sighs of satisfaction usually reserved for steak. “I didn’t know beans could be like this.”
Right. Some things: Canned beans are not really beans. They are mushy bits of cellulose and salt. The dried beans found in healthfoodstore bulk bins are not usually beans either. They are old, dead, shriveled bits of cellulose without any salt. Don’t even talk to me about dried beans bagged in plastic on grocery store shelves. Ancient. Rocks. Not food.
So. Where do you get real beans? For the most part, you have to get them from farmstands, farmers’ markets, or your garden. And like I said, sometimes you have to encourage your farmers. They don’t know people want dried beans.
People don’t know people want dried beans. And trust me, they do. All they have to do is taste them. Flavor. So much flavor. And I’ll tell you another secret: freshly dried beans don’t take a year and a day to cook like old dead ones do. You soak them (for a few hours or a few days—whatever works for you) and put them on to simmer when you start to cook. They’ll be done soon enough.
Good beans have so much of their own flavor, they don’t need a lot of help. Just a dab of fat (olive oil, schmalz, bacon fat), some onions or garlic, a bit of herb or spice. And salt. Enough salt is key. But don’t add it until the beans are almost done—it can make the skins tough. (I like to cook beans ahead of time and let them sit in their lovely broth for at least a few hours. That way the salt soaks in and they are wonderfully silky and people can’t believe how good they are.)
Some information on bean varieties: The ones I fed the boy that time were Drabo beans. I can hardly find any reference to them online. But they’re good. Very good. Fedco usually sells the seeds, but apparently their grower had a crop failure in 2007. Fedco has a great selection of bean varieties. You should grow beans. They are ridiculously easy to grow. Just keep half an eye on them for the growing season and pick them when the pods start to dry out. Don’t have a garden? If you live in California you are a lucky bastard. I was at the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market in San Francisco this summer, and there was a stand selling maybe 30 varieties of heirloom dried beans. Good Mother Stallard, Red Nightfall, Goat’s Eye. (Yes, they were $5 a pound. But I calculated—that’s still cheaper than canned beans.)
Some opinions on bean nomenclature: October beans are the traditional Appalachian “shelly” bean. Some people say they’re the same as borlotti or cranberry beans. But I’ve grown borlotti beans, I’ve grown cranberry beans, and I’ve grown October beans, and I can tell you that they are not the same. So it won’t surprise you, then, that to my tongue limas and butterbeans are not the same beans either. Try shelling butterbeans. They are flat. You hardly think there’s a bean in there. Limas are fat. And they taste different too. Try them. Eat real beans. You’ll love them, I promise.
novella said,
September 19, 2007 @ 10:48 pm
Yay beans! Next time you’re in the Bay Area, you should hit Phipps farmstand in Pescadero. They have some amazing old timey beans–like these little tiny white ones called German rice or one that has a hawk emblem on the edge of the bean. Amazing.
crabappleherbs said,
September 20, 2007 @ 7:48 am
Oh my goodness yes. I was there a few years ago and it was a bean PARADISE for sure. They have especially good (fat!) Cannellini.
Riana said,
September 24, 2007 @ 10:29 am
Great Story, now, I know what I am making for dinner. We have scads of lima beans! I make schmaltz too, its the best!
My roasting of previously frozen peppers didnt work, btw. It was impossible to get the skins off. But I did eat them all, no harm trying. I’ll roast the rest of the fresh ones.
crabappleherbs said,
September 24, 2007 @ 2:18 pm
Thanks, Riana. Aren’t beans wonderful? And schmaltz is wonderful too. I’m thinking of doing a whole blogpost on it, actually.
And thanks for the update on the peppers. I’m glad to know!
Jenny said,
September 27, 2007 @ 11:21 am
this really strikes a chord with me–i tried the pennywise challenge this past summer and couldn’t find a local dried bean supplier anywhere in missouri. lots of feed corn and soy, no human beans. we’re going to grow our own next year, and i am doubly inspired to do so by this post!
crabappleherbs said,
September 28, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
I’m glad you’re inspired to grow your own beans, Jenny! They’re really some of the easiest plants to grow. And there are so many really wonderful varieties out there. If you’re interested in trying some varieties before you decide what to plant, here are a few sources: Seed Savers Exchange, Phipps Country Store (as Novella mentioned), and Rancho Gordo (whose beans I got at the market in SF).
::::wifemothermaniac:::: said,
October 3, 2007 @ 10:36 pm
Brilliant post. I had no idea what I was missing. I seem to have alright luck with string beans in my garden, I’ll have to try some drying varieties to see what you’re talking about, since all I’ve known are the dried out no salt type you disparage of here. Love your blog, been a quiet reader for months now. Thank you for sharing
crabappleherbs said,
October 4, 2007 @ 3:18 pm
You know, you can dry the beans from string bean varieties too. Some are quite good. (Black Valentine is one I used to grow as a green bean, but I like the beans so much now I grow it for drying.)
anita said,
February 8, 2008 @ 2:52 pm
Guess what I found at my CSA farm this week? tadah! their very own dried beans. They’re gooood
crabappleherbs said,
February 11, 2008 @ 7:07 pm
Oh, yum! What kinds did they have?
karen jempson said,
March 26, 2008 @ 9:19 pm
any idea where one can buy (via the internet?) october beans? my father keeps searching for them (grew up in virginia). i havent had any luck (in florida). thanks!
crabappleherbs said,
April 3, 2008 @ 3:51 pm
Hi Karen. Do you mean the beans for cooking or the seeds? I know southern exposure seed exchange has the seeds.
mickey abbott said,
June 24, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
I purchase my october beans to plant at Bakers Creek seeds in Missouri.