Winnowing Shell Beans

Shell beans are a nice addition to the winter pantry, but separating each bean seed from the plant and pod can be very time consuming.  Winnowing your shell beans will make cleaning your beans a breeze. 

The finished product.

Working a full time job while juggling homesteading chores means some projects are on the "to do" list for months.  This year it was the middle of January before I found time to winnow the beans.

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Winnowing is the process of removing the dried plant material from the bean seeds using the wind or a fan.

Beans ready for winnowing.

Harvesting shell beans can wait until late fall, after a frost and right before you clean out your garden for the season.  To expedite the harvest, you can collect the pods, plant and all, by pulling the whole plant out of the ground.  The plants material should be brown and as dry as weather conditions allow.

Once the plant material is fairly dry, place the bean plants loosely in a burlap bag and keep in indoors to dry completely.  Then when time allows, lay the sack flat on the ground or floor and step on it, crushing the pods under foot to release the bean seeds.

I put my daughter, Katie to work when she stopped by for a visit.

Hold the bag upright and give it a few shakes.  The heavy beans will fall to the bottom of the bag leaving the lighter dried plant material on the top.

Beans with pods.

Reach into the bag and remove the stems and other large pieces.  Put the remaining bean seeds and debris in a pitcher for easy pouring.

Compost the dried plant material or use it in your chicken coop.

Next use the power of the wind, or set up a tall fan, and slowly pour the contents from as high as you can reach into a container with a large opening and high sides.  I use a plastic bin.

Make sure your fan is blowing in the same direction as the wind.

The wind will blow the dried bits away and the bean seeds will fall into the collection container.

Seeds in the container, pods and debris on the ground.

Pour the beans back into the pitcher and repeat the process about four more times to get all the small dried pieces out.  It is amazing that moving air can accomplish a task, in a few short minutes, that would take hours to do by hand.

Pouring the beans back into the pitcher one more time.

Place your bean seeds in canning jars, screw on lids, then vacuum seal to maintain maximum freshness. The beans can be stored at room temperature and will last for many years.  But try to use your beans within a year because fresh beans will cook up softer than older beans.

Vacuum sealing is easy with this device.

If you grew heirloom variety beans, save some of the nicer seeds to plant next spring.