THE CHINESE BEANS - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 81

If you have very changeable weather, use oven racks for solar drying. Whenever a
shower threatens or a day turns muggy, move the racks to the oven to continue drying
without interruption. It's important to dry steadily; intermittent damp and dry condi-
tions will invariably cause your beans to mold or rot.
Note : No matter how dry and clear the weather, be sure to take your racks in at
night. The night air is always moister and there's often a heavy dew even during a very
dry spell.
Cover beans drying outdoors with a single layer of cheesecloth. This keeps them
from being blown off the racks by the wind and keeps them free from insects. It also
deters birds. Secure the cheesecloth so it doesn't flap around or blow away. You can
run an elastic thread around the edges of the cheesecloth to hold it snugly in place. Or
thread ordinary string in the same fashion, leaving two loose string ends to draw to-
gether and tie in a loose bow. The cheesecloth is easy to wash, dry, and store to reuse
year after year.
Attic drying. A nice hot but airy attic works well because you don't need to bring in
trays at night. Mine works for herbs but it is not airy enough for beans (aside from the
fact that it's too stuffed with accumulated stuff). If you have the attic and the room, it
might be worth investing in a good attic fan for this purpose. This only works if your
spot in the attic is easily accessible; if you don't check on your beans often enough the
whole crop may be ruined through neglect.
Oven drying. Oven drying is much quicker than solar drying; it shouldn't take more
than 6 to 8 hours altogether. Use oven racks prepared as described on the previous
page, but omit the cheesecloth covers. Preheat your oven before putting in the beans.
Set the oven very low — 140°F — or you'll roast the beans rather than dry them.
Check your oven thermostat with a portable oven thermometer.
About once an hour, rotate the position of your racks. Simply move them all down
one level and put the bottom rack on top. If possible, the beans should be close but not
touching. If this is too tedious, shake the racks slightly when you rotate them to shift
the beans and expose different surfaces.
To assure good ventilation and eliminate moisture, prop the oven door open
slightly while drying. Turn on the ventilator fan over the stove; it will increase air cir-
culation, especially if an open window is nearby.
STORING THE BEANS
Test a few beans to make sure they're really dry by placing them on a hard surface and
hitting with a hammer. If they shatter, they're ready for storage; if they mash instead,
give them more drying time.