Removing Beans from Pods Using the Dryer

I hate removing dry beans from their pods.   I plant at least four beds of beans every year.  I complained in one of my YouTube videos that bean removal process was a big time hog.   One of my YouTube reader told me to use my dryer for faster shucking.  Shoot me now.  Learn why you SHOULDN’T use your dryer to remove beans from pods.  (Plus video to add to my embarrassment…)

How to Removing Beans from Pods

Before I go into my drama laden issue.  Watch the below video that shows you how I normally remove my dry beans from their pods.

Okay, now you have the picture of why this task can be so time intensive especially since I plant four beds of beans each year.  (Since I am a glutton for punishment, I planted five beds this year.)  I use the square foot method of garden, in which you plant your seed closer.

Anna, why don’t you just remove your beans from their pods like you illustrated in your video?

Here is the math.  Using the square foot gardening method, I sow 238 seeds per bed.  Each bed is 8 foot by 4 foot. Each pod could have at least four beans.  Some have more.

Each plant could have 10 pods per plant.  (Or so it seems that way.)  If you do the math, that is a whole lot of shucking.  At first it is fun and then as the beans dry on the plants, it starts to wears on your mind and body.  Think about it like having 10 loads of laundry to fold.

*Collective groan.*

Using your dryer for easier bean removal.

Using the dryer sounded like a brilliant idea since the heat would open up the pods.  I dreamed that all I would have to do was scoop out the  pods and put them into a bag for the compost.  At the bottom of the dryer would be my glorious beans.

15 minutes of heat and 10 minutes of work.  Sounds dreamy, right?

Wrong.

Wrong.

And double wrong.

Or at least that’s what happened to me.

Only me.

I threw the bean pods in the dryer for 10 minutes on heat.  Something smelled like it was burning.

Duh.  The pods are paper like.

I stopped the dryer immediately.

Guess what happened next?

My worse nightmare.  Worse than bubble gum in your dryer.  (I know.  That is pretty awful.  I had to deal with that too.)

Small fragments of paper flew out of the dryer when I opened the door.  I knew right then and there I was in trouble.

The lint tray was full of beans and small fragments of paper.  Worse yet, the beans had fallen below the lint tray.  I tried for an hour to suction the beans from that lowly spot in the dryer.  I used every vacuum attachment made to man (or whatever I had) to get those beans out of the dryer.

Nothing worked.  Absolutely nothing.

The bean still make a noise when I turn on the dryer.

I realized that beans weren’t the only material in that unreachable space.  Coins and other small items were lodged in that space.  Be sure to check yours.  it is quite eye opening.

Maybe the beans slipped through the lint remover tray since there was a small hole in mesh.  (Yes, only these drama laden tragedies happen to me.)

What about the beans?  About 80 to 90 percent did come out of their shells and laid at the bottom of my drier covered in shredded paper.

I spent four hours sorting through the beans and paper rumble. I would gently blow on a handful of beans to remove the chaff (or small paper) from the beans.  In addition, about 10% of the beans still had to be removed from their pods.

My laundry floor was a mess and some of the beans went under the dryer.

Be sure to see my video if you need a good laugh.  (I can hear it now.  Anna. Anna. Anna.  Only these things happen to you.)

One Facebook reader thought a pillow case would have worked.  It might have saved me a huge dryer mess but I still would have to sort through the paper chaff and pods.

Worse yet, what happens if the pillow case opened up?

So, I am back to the tedious method of removing the beans from the pods one by one.

Join the Conversation

Anyone have any help or suggestions how to shuck your dried beans?

 

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