THE CHINESE BEANS - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 80

• For a salad, marinate cooked leftover beans in garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, and
sesame oil.
HOW TO DRY BEANS
Drying is a very satisfactory method of preserving beans. It uses much less energy than
freezing, and dried products take up very little space. The goal is to eliminate all mois-
ture to prevent rot and premature germination. It's important not to “cook” the seeds;
roasted soybeans are delicious for eating out of hand, but they won't sprout and they
won't cook up well. Anything that keeps out moisture makes a suitable container.
Whatever method you use, the racks are very important. They should be as large
as possible and must allow maximum air circulation. In an oven, they have to conform
to oven size; in the sun, they're limited only by the size you find convenient to handle.
You can use window screens, or oven racks covered with screening to keep the beans
from falling through. Dehydrators come with their own racks.
PREPARING THE BEANS
Once pods are brown and dry, pull up the whole plant and hang indoors to finish dry-
ing. Place something underneath to catch any beans that fall. Once pods split easily,
shell and proceed with drying.
DRYING METHODS
Dehydrators. Dehydrators are the easiest way to dry beans. A number of excellent
models are available. Most are electric and have removable racks. They're easy to use,
take minimal time, and aren't expensive to operate. They come with a fan or blower
and a built-in thermostat. Dehydrators eliminate the need to rotate racks or bring them
under cover at night. If you grow large quantities of beans, you'll need to dry them in
batches, but you won't have to worry about humid spells or rainy weather.
Solar drying. This is the least expensive method, but it won't work in some climates
or during periods of humid weather. You need a spell of long, clear, dry sunny days,
and a spot in full sun to place your racks. Since you'll be drying at different times de-
pending on when your beans mature, everything depends on the spell of weather at the
time you're ready to dry. Plant material won't wait for a dry spell, so it's best to have
an alternative plan available.