leather britches

Leather britches or shucky beans are simply beans that are preserved through drying while still green and in the shell. Although we do not grow many beans because they are cheap to buy in bulk quantities, we do enjoy them on occasion. Rather than have them taking up shelf space, canning them or freezing them I generally use this method. It is simple to do and I like seeing them hang around the shack.

When beans are mature simply snip off the end of the pod where the stem was and run a string down through the center of the beans(feed bag strings work great for this) or simply lay them out in the sun to dry for a couple few weeks. Once dry, hang them anywhere that they will keep dry until you are ready to use them. If you lay them out in the sun, remember to bring them in during inclement weather. I typically hang ours up under the carport rafters and bring them in once the weather changes come fall.

To cook, just throw them in a pot of water overnight to soak, drain them in the morning and then slow cook all day long in water with a chunk of fat back, bacon, or a ham bone. Season to taste and serve.