How do you cook Shucky beans?

The traditional method to prepare the shucky beans is with a needle and thread. The beans are strung on the thread and hung, usually behind a wood stove, until they shrivel giving the appearance of “leather britches”. They can be dried other ways as well such as in a greenhouse, on a tin roof or in a hot car.

What are leather britches green beans?

“Leather britches” or “shuck beans” refers to the method of preserving certain types of green beans by drying them in their pods. Rehydrated and cooked, the skins take on the texture of silk and nearly dissolve on the tongue, while the beans are tender, rich, and velvety.

What are shelly beans?

Shelly beans are between a green snap bean and a dried soup bean. They have other names, depending on where you live. You might call them green shells, shelling beans, October beans, shellies, shuckies, or fall beans. Most green beans can be eaten at the green shell stage, but some are better than others.

Why would you string up green beans?

Folks back then would take greasy beans, or fresh green beans and string them up on thread. The beans were then hung in a dry place, or even under the porch of the house to dry out. This was the way they stored beans from the summer harvest to be used during the hard, cold winter months.

How long does it take to dry Shucky beans?

Depending on the weather, it should take about 3 days to dry the beans. Just dump them out on the sheet, make sure they are spread out really well and not stacked on top of each other, and leave them in the sun. You will want to bring them into the house at night.

How long do you cook dried beans?

Place beans in a large pot; cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently until beans are tender but firm. Most beans will cook in 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the variety. Periodically, try a taste test or mash a bean against the side of the pot with a fork or spoon.

What are buttermilk britches?

This dish, called “buttermilk britches,” features the dried beans in a tangy buttermilk cream sauce without any extraneous seasoning, but with the deeply savory note that drying imparts on the beans.

How do you store leather britches beans?

Storing Your Leather Britches Once dried, you can unstring your beans and store them in a clean jar or airtight container. Alternatively, you can just toss them with some salt and store them, string and all, in a flour sack, pillowcase, or paper bag. Adding a dried pepper to the sack may help to keep out insects.

Can you can shelly beans?

Boil water on the stove and pour hot water over beans, leaving a 1 and 1/2 inch head space for quart jars and 1 inch for pints. Place jars in pressure canner. Beans are a non-acid food and can only be safely canned in a pressure canner. Place lid on pressure canner and allow steam to vent for ten minutes.

Are shelly beans and pinto beans the same?

Shelly beans are a beautiful variety of pinto beans that are usually harvested before the pod turns leathery and the beans dry.

What are white half runner beans?

Half-runner beans are snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) that combine the growing habits of a bush bean with those of a pole bean, and grow well in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. Half-runner beans grow about 5 feet tall and take 55 to 60 days to mature.

Why are Shucky beans called’shucky’beans?

The late Marie Day, once said that is why they are called “Shucky” beans. If you have no where to lay the beans to dry in the sun, you could use a dehydrator to dry your beans. Once your beans are dry, you will want to put them into quart size freezer bags, and store them in the freezer.

How often do we eat Shucky beans in Kentucky?

But, if you aren’t from Eastern, Kentucky (or most of the South) and think I’m talking nonsense… a Shucky Bean is simply a dried green bean. I think they are a delicacy not only because they are delicious, but because we generally only have Shucky Beans once or twice a year; at Thanksgiving and sometimes Christmas.

How often do you need to dry Shucky beans?

Turn on the dehydrator, mine has no settings, and let dry for about 2-3 days. Rotate trays around so that beans on top eventually make it to the bottom to dry quicker. You must do this a couple of times a day.

When do you eat Shuck Beans in the mountains?

In many mountain families, shuck beans are a traditional part of the feast for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and/or New Years. In my family, though, they were a much-beloved winter supper, served only with plenty of hot real corn bread and sliced raw onion on the side.