Lovin' My Lazy Wife (Beans)

For some reason I didn't plant beans for the first 9 years that I gardened.  It doesn't make a lot of sense since they are a garden staple.  I finally got my act together and planted some lazy wife beans this year.  I am loving them.

Shelled lazy wife beans

Lazy wife beans are an heirloom bean that used to be very popular.  They are a "greasy" bean, meaning they do not have tiny hairs on the pod, which gives the pod a greasy appearance.  They are also a cut short bean because they grow so large  that they crowd each other in the pod ends square off.

You can eat these a green beans or as shell beans.  We tried some as green beans and did not care for them.  My daughter who loves green beans ended up using them as a ketchup scoop.  We do love them as a shell bean.  They taste good on their own but also go well cooked up with some garlic and spices.

Why the odd name you ask?  Seems it comes from the fact that they are easy to shell.  That is the real reason I love these beans.  My 3 year old always wants to help me out but there is not a lot she can do with the garden that won't either hurt her or hurt the garden.  She has, however, mastered shelling lazy wife beans and loves doing it!  I hope this is the beginning of a life long love affair with gardening for her.

So easy a 3 old can do it!

The only down side to these is they don't seem to be setting beans in the heat.  This is my first experience with beans so I am not sure that is the problem.  The first planting set a ton of beans.  The second planting, which flowered when they temps hit 90-100 degrees, have not set any beans.  Oh well, we have so much of everything else that is alright.  At least they are doing good things for the soil.