Legumes

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  • in How to Grow, Legumes, Plant

    How to Grow Soybeans

    Soybean pods on a young soybean plant

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    Soybeans are bushy, free-branching, warm-weather annuals. There are more than 10,000 soybean cultivars. Seeds can be smaller than a pea or as large as a kidney bean. Soybeans grow 12 to 36 inches (30-91cm) tall. Stems and leaves are hairy. The flowers are white with lavender shading. Pods grow 1 to 4 inches (2.5-10cm) long […] More

  • in Legumes, Prepare

    All About Dried Beans — Growing and Cooking

    MIxed dry beans

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    Dried beans are cooked and served in many ways–in salads, soups, casseroles, stews, and chilis. Dried beans can be served alone or as a side dish with meat or pasta or rice. Dried beans are commonly boiled and then sometimes baked or refried. Dried beans are beans whose seeds are dried and shelled after reaching […] More

  • in Legumes, Prepare

    Five Ways to Quick Cook and Serve Snap Beans

    Green beans

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    Fresh, tender snap beans have a delicate flavor that is delicious eaten raw or just lightly cooked. Both the immature seeds and seed pods are edible. Green beans are snap beans, but snap beans can also be yellow, purple, and splotched in multiple colors. The peak season for fresh local snap beans is late spring […] More

  • in Legumes, Prepare, Recipes

    Shell Beans Serving Tips

    Beans cranberry

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    Shell beans are any members of the legume family that are shucked or shelled. All beans grow in pods. Shell beans are cooked and served after they have been shelled. The pod is not eaten. Shell beans include black-eyed peas, cranberry beans, fava beans, and lima beans. Shell beans are also called shellies, shellouts, shelly […] More

  • in Legumes, Prepare

    Five Ways to Cook and Serve Fava Beans

    Fava bean salad

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    The fava bean—which is also known as the broad bean, English bean, Windsor bean, and horsebean–can be eaten fresh or dried. As fava beans mature, their flavor grows increasingly starchy and strong. The smallest beans—less than the size of a small fingernail—are the sweetest. The outer skins of medium- and large-sized fava beans have a […] More

  • in How to Grow, Legumes, Plant

    How to Plant and Grow Peas

    How to Grow Peas

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    Peas are a cool-weather crop; they must mature in cool weather. Grow peas in spring and sometimes autumn in cold-winter regions. Grow peas during the winter and early spring in mild-winter regions. Peas mature in about 60 days. Time your pea planting so your pea harvest comes during cool weather. That means planting peas in […] More

  • in Legumes, Prepare

    How to Cook and Serve Snow Peas

    Snow peas with eggs

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    Snow peas are edible-podded peas: you eat the seed and pod whole. You can use snow peas in the same way as fresh peas or green beans. In fact, snow peas and green beans are interchangeable in most recipes. . The peak season for snow peas is spring and then again in fall. How to […] More

  • in Diseases, Legumes, Pests, Problems

    Bean Growing Problems: Troubleshooting

    Green Bean Sprouts1

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    Beans: garden beans–including pole, bush, and shell–lima beans, mung beans, scarlet runner beans, asparagus beans, and southern peas (which are not beans but share similar cultural requirements). All of these crops share similar problems. Here is a list of common bean problems and possible causes and cures. For more on vegetable garden pests and diseases […] More

  • in Legumes, Prepare

    How to Cook and Serve Chickpeas

    Chickpea salad1

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    Chickpeas can be boiled, sauteed, roasted, and baked. They can be added to stews and turned into hummus. Chickpeas can be used in appetizers, mixed salads, and soups. The nutty flavor and creamy texture of the chickpea make it a robust and hearty addition to many dishes. The chickpea is a staple in cookery throughout […] More