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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

I like hearing about everyone's garden!

Beans.
When I took my seed inventory, I realized that I had a lot of bean seed.
Some was from 2005(KY Wonder) some from 2007 (Contender, Blue Lake, and
some KY Wonder).  I had picked up a few packs for this year, but I
wanted to use up the old stuff, too, so man have I planted beans!  I
posted pictures of the beans in the garden on my blogsite.

After Easter, I planted Roma bush beans and all the KY Wonder pole beans
and Dow Gauk, AKA Asparagus AKA Yard Long beans.  I also planted Dragons
Tongue and I had the opposite issue as Leslie.  My Dragon Tongue beans
claimed to be a pole bean, but they are bush beans.  It was my first
year growing them so I did not know.   A few weeks later, I filled in
the gaps of the Romas with some yellow wax beans.  So far, we have been
eating the Roma and Dragon Tongue, and I like both, but we really like
the Dragon Tongue as a green/snap bean.  No strings for either variety.
As Martha says, it's a good thing.

The KY Wonder and Asparagus beans are still blooming-have topped the 7
foot trellises, and the yellow wax beans are almost ready to pick.  I
think they will be ready by the weekend.  In the last few weeks, I have
also planted a pack of Royal Burgundy bush beans(now 8" tall), several
ounces of Contender(2" tall), and today I planted some Blue Lake bush
beans.  I've got about half a pound more Blue Lake beans to plant over
the next month or so.  Oh, I also have some scarlet runner beans(on a
ladder-ornamental for the hummers) and this year I will plant Aquadulce
fava beans over the winter.  Speaking of old seed, I had some old red
field peas(that are technically beans) that I could no longer find in
catalogs.  I can't remember where I got them originally, but they were
good and I use them in this one specific Cajun recipe.  I was low on
supply, with only about 2 inches of beans in a Mason jar.  On James's
advice, I planted them en masse on the ground and covered them with
mulch hay.  They are doing well as a block of beans. I will be using
this same method for growing some other dry beans.

So far, I am only cooking the fresh beans and haven't canned anything,
but I did get a new seal and pop off for my pressure canner, so I am
ready for the mountains of beans I hope to have.  I have a Frencher, and
will probably French slice some of the Blue Lakes or Kentucky Wonders.
I just haven't decided. I'll slice whichever beans Skyguy likes the
least.   My family, as you might guess, eats more green beans than any
other vegetable.  I think I could can 75 quarts and still would run out
before the next growing season.  Normally, I freeze veggies like beans,
but I want to reduce the power bill so I will can them this year.
I'll probably make some dilly beans.  I'd appreciate a repost (from
Rob?) with the recipe for dilly beans.  Any other kind of canned bean
recipe will be appreciated, too.

Leslie, I don't know how many beans you planted, but surely you can can
or freeze or dry the beans to preserve them?

James, about leather breeches<sp>, dried beans....is there any
particular type that you string up?  Exactly how do you do it?  Any
particular type of string?  When you finally cook them, do you cook the
whole pod like green beans or just the beans?


Finally, I would like to apologize to the list for repeating questions
or posts.  I really am getting forgetful.  I remember just enough to be
dangerous.



--
"Never expect magic from no where"  Baringo (Kenyan) working motto
EarthNSky Farm, NW Georgia, USA