Pickin' Green Beans in the Fall

October is generally one of the driest months we have.  It's kind of odd, because October is usually a month of stellar weather, when clear skies, cooler temperatures, nice breezes, and finally, relief from the long, hot summer brings enjoyment.  The problem is that the dry spell coincides with the planting of the Fall Garden, and those seeds and young plants need water to grow.  This means that I spend a lot of time in the late afternoon until dark-thirty watering plants.  For the last couple of weeks, the bok choy is laid out on the ground looking exhausted.  It is only after a good soaking from the water hose that the bok choy perks up.

There are other plants growing that are producing right now.  Green beans, for instance.  Nourishing rains would have equated to greater yields, but I mulched real good around the plants to retain soil moisture and we're happy for the beans we get.

A few nice beans on each plant

I like to pick the green beans when they are young and tender.  Fresh green beans are so good to eat. There's really no comparison of fresh green beans to the canned ones.  Although canned green beans can be great with new potatoes and bacon, it is not a similar product as fresh picked green beans, lightly cooked so that they are still a little crunchy and have that brilliant green color.

While bending over straddling the rows, I carefully picked each green bean that was sized right and left a bunch to continue growing for a few days.  There were beans in all stages of development, from the ones I picked to eat for supper, all the way to the blooms you see below.  That is good news and means that we'll have staggered crops to enjoy with our meals until the first frost knocks the beans back.

More green beans coming soon

I picked a nice bucket of beans, the first of many, I hope, and brought them inside and gave them a good rinse and then put them in the crisper in the refrigerator.

First bucket of Fall crop green beans

The next day Tricia cooked them in a skillet, basically stir-fried them, and they were delicious!  Rain is finally in the long range forecast for this weekend.  I'm thinking that a good soaking rain would refresh everything in the garden and get things growing again and that means more green beans to enjoy as a great accompaniment to our meals.