Beans, beans.....you know the routine!

…the musical fruit

The more you eat, the more you toot

The more you toot, the better you’ll feel

So, eat beans…at every meal!

What you might not have known is that Native Americans—both North and South depended upon three foods for their main sustenance: beans, squash and corn. Today, let’s start with beans.


Out here, JOTOLR, we grow a variety of beans. Here’s a partial list: this year, we’re growing Limas, Provider, Romas, and October beans. Add to this, our store of last year’s varieties, including Black Turtle, Red Kidney, Navy, Cannellini, Gold of Bacau, Jacob’s Cattle, Kentucky Wonder—both pole and bush; Derby….


Had enough? I’ll bet many of you never knew there were so many varieties of beans! And why would we grow so many?  Different bean, different flavor.


Of course, most know that fresh green beans can be used in so many different dishes and in various ways.   Stirfry, dilled as appetizers, in salads, both raw and cooked, as well as bottling them (as in jars/canning).  Here JOTOLR, MM and I try to head into winter with a healthy complement of canned green beans—say, close to 100 jars. That takes us into the following year with enough to ensure we don’t run out if we have a poor growing season. Old timers nostalgically recall "leather-britches"...that's the name for green beans hung to air-cure, dried AS green beans.  Full of summer flavor, leather-britches are extolled among those who remember as being the best of the best.  I use a dehydrator to do virtually the same thing.  My way uses more energy, but happens faster! 


As the beans ripen and “go to seed” the final stage is to use all the beans--even those customarily labeled "green" beans-- left on the vines as dried beans, regardless of the “type” you planted. Every “green” bean will eventually become a dried bean, harvested by pulling the entire plant and letting the pods dry in the sun on a piece of black plastic, taken in every night to prevent their getting damp from the dew overnight.


As they dry, the pods will often self-destruct and the dried beans will fly out. But, sometimes it’s necessary to tromp the bean pods, shattering the crisp outer shell, so the beans can be winnowed in the breeze on a windy day.  MM and I do our annual “bean dance” as we smash the pods by walking (dancing) on them! It’s fun—as we waltz back and forth over the beans. It only takes a light zephyr for the chaff to blow away, leaving the bean kernels to fall onto the plastic to fully cure in the sun, after which we put the dried beans in a jar to be enjoyed throughout fall and winter--and summer next.


Now, the big question: what about….well…..the “toot…?” In gentle terms, it’s called flatulence. Gas. It’s the reason (excuse?) many folks don’t eat beans.


From http://www.treehugger.com/


“Excess gas can cause discomfort and sometimes actual pain as well as embarrassing flatulence. Gas occurs because beans contain a sugar called oligosaccharide and we lack the enzyme required to break the sugar down. When the sugar arrives in your lower intestinal tract intact, it ferments, creating a buildup of gas. The gas isn't absorbed into the intestine, so the body expels it, creating red faces all around.


The answer to this problem is pretty simple. Cook your own beans rather than using canned, and soak them thoroughly first to allow the sugar to leach out. To avoid having it re-absorbed into the beans, it's a good idea to change the soaking water a few times. Cooking the beans slowly also makes a difference. Rinse the beans after you have cooked them as well.


Younger beans are better to use than older beans, and although it is impossible to know how long the beans you are buying have been dried, there are a couple of things to look out for. Beans darken with age so choose beans that are lighter in colour, and also those with fewer cracks in them. There are suggestions that grinding or mashing beans helps, and simply chewing them well makes a difference. If you are using canned beans, rinse them a number of times.”


Beano is the (rather expensive) gas preventative you see advertised on TV. If you want more information on it, go to http://www.beanogas.com/FAQ.aspx


Beans are a tasty and wonderful source of protein. Each bean variety has a different flavor. During the summer, using last year’s dried beans, I will often soak a quart of dried beans (tonight, it's Black Turtle beans) for a couple of hours and then use the pressure cooker to cook them. When cooled and drained, I package them into 16 ounce size packets (one-quart plastic bag size)(I don’t use plastic bags, but instead keep those reusable plastic containers) and use the beans in full-meal salads during summer instead of using any meat.

There are so many great recipes for preparing dried beans, and they offer the additional ease of energy-free long-term storage. Check out the Internet for great bean recipes of all kinds. And don’t overlook this primary Native American food as one of your best sources of excellent nutrition.