Our favorite time of year is fall when we start cooking our summer harvested and dried Fresh Shell Beans. If you have never dried your own beans or harvested fresh shell beans in your own garden – you need to try! The neon pink of cranberry bean has us mesmerized, and the we play with this varietal of bean the more in love we become.
If you are able to get your hands on fresh shell beans, you can also cook them when they’re still fresh. They cook in about 30-40 minutes, versus dried shell beans that take 2 hours. Plus, they keep their color!
How to Cook Fresh Shell Beans
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Remove the beans by nipping the ends of the pod, and pulling at the seem. Once open, remove the beans from inside the shell.
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You can rinse your beans in water. Then add them to a pot with about 2 inches of water above the top of the bean line. You can also add any seasoning you want EXCEPT salt. Salt will come later. We like shallots or onions, and other herbs for aromatics like garlic or rosemary, bay leaves, etc.
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Just bring your water to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 10-40 minutes. Check the tenderness of the beans by taking a sample bite – they should fall apart in your teeth without much toughness at all. The variation in time depends on rthe size of the bean.
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Once finished, you can kill the flame and let the beans sit in their own broth. Once ready to serve, you can save the water as vegetable broth and use in mashed potatoes, in beef braise, or in a sauce. Serve your beans in a vinaigrette dressing with some sea salt and lemon, or get fancier and throw them in with your salad!
Enjoy!
Check out some herb seasonings, dressings, and olive oils to toss up with your cooked beans.
How To Cook Fresh Shell Beans
