Mayflower Beans and more in October

Went out into the garden this afternoon to pull in handfuls of dry and fresh shelling whipporwill peas and came back with much more.  I had forgotten about planting another round of Mayflower pole beans - and they were not being pole beans at all, so it took me all the way to the house and opening up pod after pod of these pink dappled beans to realize : 'Hey, I know what these are!'.  *facepalm*.  It is like realizing that funny sounding dog with the group is really a cat.  There were also purple 'Blue Shackamaxon' beans that were ready to hang up to dry, some more Tennessee greasy beans and a few other assorted beans.  The pimento peppers and banana peppers gave up another bag each to the freezer.  I saved a set of pimentos to dry but hung them up - when they really should be cored, cut and laid out to dry on a dehydrator.

The first plants I had put out this year were killed in the drought.  I planted more beans in August?  I have only a faint memory of grabbing a few of the saddest smallest beans out of the collection to throw in the ground to 'see'... and they definitely decided to take.

This became dinner tonight and a packet for lunch tomorrow, with peppers, onions and broccoli 

and some of Mark's barbeque pork.

These beans are wrapped and tied on cotton string to hang in the drying room.  They have developed to 'nearly bursting' but do not have any insect damage or breaks in the outer pod.  This is the perfect time to tie them for drying - if the humidity where they will dry is low enough they will dry and not mold.  Otherwise, you might better take your chances outside in the garden to let them dry,although mold and insects can get them there, too.  The Shackamaxons (purple tones shown) will not develop their deep blue-black colored outer shells unless they stay in their pod until dry.  They keep better with that hard shell, as well.  In a few weeks I should have small bowls of pretty 'pink' Mayflower beans and 'blue' Shackamaxons for seed for next year.  There are already two Starbucks coffee bottles full of black eyed peas and Whipporwills, and mixed Florida Speckled Limas and Dixie Butterpea Limas in with those.  Slowly, I am finding what 'likes' my soil here and is hardy enough to withstand the weather.