Snap Beans Again

I am once again beating around the Contender Snap Bean Bushes. I do like them because of their tolerance to heat and their high yield.  The beans may be sowed in still hot September and in the cool of March/April.

The Contender beans are my favorite but there are such a variety to choose from and they mature in 50 - 55 days.  There is the Bountiful straight, broad, thick, flat, light green and string less.  Another is the popular Commodore which is, high yielding, dark green, fleshy, and round.  These grow to 6 - 7 inches long, if you let them.

The new and improved garden soil on the Back Forty plot looks fertile but I am still going to add some trace material (Ironite) and once the seedlings are taken off, I'll fertilize carefully as to avoid burns on the leaves.

The roots are also shallow so it behooves me to treat the plants tenderly when cultivating.  It may be advantageous to hill the plants up and put mulch around them to retain the moisture.

I like to harvest the beans when they are young, tender, and slender.  They cook up very quickly in slightly salted water and ready to eat as such or for a different taste, I stir fry in Hoisan sauce after cooking.

Needless to say, the beans freeze well after blanching and cooling in running tap water, bagged and tagged.  They retain their consistency and color.

Seed Saving:  I also plan to set aside a patch to let the beans grow until they dry on the vine and then harvest them, shell, and store them in a glass container (my choice) in a cool and dark place until next season.

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