I've got some Kentucky Wonder pole beans and a couple of bush beans ready to plant. I've never grown beans before, but I was drawn to their high yield potential compared to other vegetables. I'm curious about how exactly to eat these beans. Can I enjoy dried beans over the winter, or is that only for specific varieties like pintos? Also, do I just eat them cooked with the pods?
3 Answers
You're definitely growing green beans, and you can eat them pod and all! Just keep an eye on them so they don't get too big and tough.
For Kentucky Wonder beans, I've tried eating them while they are still green, but they can get stringy if you wait too long. I usually let a few dry out in the pods and enjoy them throughout the year. Honestly, dried beans taste better than green beans, in my opinion. Yellow wax beans are fantastic to eat fresh in the pod!
You can dry and store beans from any variety that makes pods, but you'll need a good number of plants to make it worthwhile since dried beans are cheap at the store. It's usually a smarter move to blanch and freeze your beans or can them if you have the setup. This way, you'll have fresh beans to enjoy in the off-season instead of letting them mature.