There’s an old wives tale that you never pick beans when they are wet. They say the beans get rust. I am not sure if this is true but I am a picky bean harvester so I have try to harvest beans when they are dry. If they are somewhat damp I wear gloves.
So I have never tested the saying. Has anyone had rust on his or her beans? And is moisture the real cause?
I do like fresh beans but I like them when they are small, pencil thin, with very little inner bean. I usually pick them in the morning or evening when it’s cooler. I find the bean stays crisper when picked in the cooler parts of the day.
I also use them as soon as possible so that I have the fresh nutrients of the bean. Often times I harvest a handful at a time and use them raw or in salads. The bean also stays crisper if used as soon as possible.
I plant a small bean crop about every two weeks so that I have a fresh supply of small beans at all times. if I decide to can or freeze a batch of bean I will plant a larger crop so I know I have enough beans that are ready to harvest at one time
And until recently I always grew bush beans. I would plant them with the tomatoes. The two vegetables seem to compliment each other and save on space.
But recently I went to growing half of the beans as pole beans. I practice vertical gardening in many of my gardens and pole beans do well.
As for the beans I grow, I try them all. That’s a true sign of the addicted gardener! I like the slender bean variety the best but the yard long bean is great when about 8 inches long. And I have let then grow to 3 foot to harvest the actual bean. I also like broad beans, yellow beans and scarlet runner beans.
And for those who like color there is the bean with the purple pod. The pods stay purple until they are cooked then turn green.
For more bean facts check out: Green beans
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