What do you do with a Greasy bean?

[ddsack]

I've tried 3 or 4 varieties of pole beans, and about 8 varieties of bush beans so I pretty much know what I like in green beans, but I haven't had much luck in finding out information about greasy beans. Like at what growth stage you would pick a greasy bean (or are they better as dry beans) and how you would prepare them. I would appreciate any information or ideas.

[Ruth_10]

I too am growing a greasy bean for the first time this summer. I think you would pick it at a similar stage as for pole beans, or perhaps with a little more seed showing. Same for preparation.

One place to look for info is in the Heirloom forum on GW. Gardenlad has/had quite a few posts on greasy beans.

[Worth1]

Is that a greasy bean or a greazy bean?

Worth

[melody]

Greasy beans are called that for the slick, greasy looking pods.

Typically a 'southern' term...greasy beans were usually cooked all day in an iron kettle with a piece of the 'hog du jour'.

Not really the most nutritious way of cooking the beans, as they turn into a mass of bean-like dark forms that only a true Southerner can love.

True southern cooked greasy beans are rarely seen anymore, as most folks won't take the 6 to 8 hours to properly do them.

[Worth1]

When I was still at home we used to grow green beans by the boat load.
We never grew greasy beans but the beans we did grow we caned.

During this most intense time of the year my mom would put on a big granite kettle and cook the beans with some home grown bacon and new potatoes.
That’s all we ate for the day was giant plates of beans and fried farm raised chicken.
As a ((TRUE SOUTHERNER)) I love beans cooked this way.

MY WIFE HATES THEM! She’s from West Texas.

She likes the half raw beans that seem to be the fad these days.
So now I will sometimes put the beans in a kettle and cover it with a lid.
To make things a little more heart friendly I will cook the bacon and drain off the grease.
My wife will then say I’m starting the beans to early and I will say that I’m just getting ready.
I will then put the beans on low and keep and eye on her to make sure she doesn’t see that they are on.
And if she does I will turn them back on.
Then after about 4 or 5 hours when its time to eat, I will tell her that she must have mistakenly turned them on or the cat must have done it.
I will then enjoy my beans.
Of course I will cook a small pot for her the newfangled way so she can have her raw beans.

You don’t stay married for almost 26 years without learning a few tricks to stop arguments.
Especially when your wife is a hot tempered ((RED HEAD))!
That’s what you do with greasy beans.

Worth

[bluelacedredhead]

You must be doing something right Worth, if you've managed to get through 26 years of marriage with a Redhead . My husband's reading this over my shoulder and he's LOL.

[melody]

I prefer Southern Cooked Green Beans too....this half raw stuff don't quite get it. Lean ham is very nice in them and about a tablespoon of molasses. Cook all day on low and eat with cornbread (no sugar added please)and new potatoes....yummm..

[shelleybean]

I like them both ways. If I have bigger beans, I like them cooked a long time with ham or bacon and some Vidalia onion tossed in. If I have little French beans or am making a green bean and tomato salad, I prefer them just lightly cooked. Dang, now I guess we'll have to have some beans tonight. And I have new potatoes here too! Yum!

[Fert1]

When I was a kid, I remember my dad planting greasy beans one year. He called them greasy-back beans. They were the best tasting green beans I can ever remember him planting. As I recall the pods would get fairly good sized beans in them. They just had the best flavor. I had considered growing some greasy beans this year, but since I haven't gotten around to starting any this year, I will probably wait until next year at least.

Just curious - what varieties of greasy beans are you all growing? I don't know the specific variety my dad grew, just that he called it a "greasy-back bean".