Leather britches are dried green beans. I've strung them and they dried nicely, although they aren't green any longer, but haven't cooked them yet. Any suggestions?

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), August 07, 2000

Answers

Wow, I haven't heard leather britches in years! My Mom used to make them for us when we were kids. If I remember correctly she would chop up a couple of slices of bacon and a small onion and cook them in a pot with just enough water to cover them. If you want me to I'll try to get the recipe from her, I know it was simple to make.

Jim T.

-- Jim Tanner (tanner_jim@hotmail.com), August 07, 2000.

Does anyone know a good variety to make them with. I dried a bunch of supposedly stringless beans, cooked them up, and wound up with them being pretty much inedible from the huge amount of woody fibers. I even made sure I got them good and young, to make sure they would stay tender. Very discouraging.

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), August 07, 2000.

Jim, thanks, I'd like the recipe. I don't even like green beans and I don't eat pork, but, I have leaarned to eat them because I love to can them. I know. Connie, I dried Top Crop, don't know how they'll work. Thanks.

-- Cindy(IN) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), August 07, 2000.

Cindy;

Mom said that she doesn't have a real recipe. She just adds the bacon, onion, and salt to taste then cook till tender. She also said that if you don't like pork to try a little garlic. Hopes this helps

Jim T.

-- Jim Tanner (tanner_jim@hotmail.com), August 08, 2000.

Please expand my education. I always thought the beans were extracted from the dried pods and only they were cooked. Drying them in the pod by hanging long strings of them in a warm place was just easier than shelling and dehydrating. If the pods are cooked, I can see where they would be course and stringy.

-- Ken S. (scharabo@aol.com), August 08, 2000.

I found this on the Mountain Laurel website. Hope it helps. I have a feeling the stringyness is something our fore father's got used to. I am looking for more.

Susan,

I was so happy to find your web page when surfing the net trying to find out information on Ramp Festivals in WV. I was born and raised in Nicholas County and remember my mother fixing a form of dried green beans called "leather breeches". I've tried for years to find out information on how to make them with no success. Would you know any information on the best type of bean to use, the process of making them and the best month to dry them?

Thank you, Teresa Monnett, Richmond, VA

Leather britches beans were a way mountain people could keep produce through the year. Freezers were unheard of and canning jars were precious and used to can meats like tenderloin. Mountain people figured out how to dry a lot of different vegetables. They even dried turnip greens and berries!

Leather britches beans are made from any green bean. When they are in season and fresh from the garden, string them like you would any green bean, but do not snap them. String them with a needle and thread through the middle of each bean and hang them to dry so that they are not touching anything.

Then, when you want green beans in the middle of the winter, soak a string of beans in water overnight and remove them from the string. Cook as you would fresh green beans, seasoned with a little country ham or fat back.

They will be more transparent in color than fresh green beans.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), August 08, 2000.

Something else those mountain people used those precious jars for was to bottle white lightening for sale. My grandfather said he got some of the "best chicken whiskey" ( he called it that cause you take one drink and lay right there) in the hills of W. VA during the depression.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 15, 2000.

Chicken whiskey-that's funny.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), August 15, 2000.