Soy beans were a nice surprise for me this year. This is the first time I planted them and one plant was all I needed. It was difficult to determine when the beans were ready for harvesting. They tend to be on the firm side and not like your typical bean. Some were plump, some weren't. And unlike a green beans, that have a shorter harvest time, soy beans seem to need more time to ripen. Perhaps this is completely off base, but I waited until most of them caught up with other more mature looking ones. If the leaves start to brown, then you know you better start harvesting them. Anyway, I did three harvests on one plant and got a good yield for two adults. I had to use a clipper to harvest them as they are very brittle and if you try to pull them off, the entire vine will break.
After harvesting them I par-boiled them. And ran them under cold water. Once they cooled I peeled them. One thing I learned is that the beans have a thin layer of (skin?) (film?) around them and although it was more work peeling them, it was worth it, as that skin is very chewy. Fresh soy beans are so delicious! Crisp and sweet. What a pleasant treat to pop in your mouth or put over a salad. One thing though, if you do get some over-ripe ones they tend to have a lima bean consistency, so you do have to watch out for that. Other than that though, I am definitely going to do soy beans again next year.
Next postings will be on the woes of my melons, tomato canning lesson 101, and turning the poo!
