Kidney beans (dry)

A long, quiet crop: kidney beans sown in late May and then ignored until the pods rattle in September. Yield per square foot is modest, which is exactly why they get ground instead of bags.

Growing

Wait for soil to hit 60F, usually late May, then direct sow in the ground or a raised bed; a 15 gallon bag technically works, but the harvest will disappoint. Space close, about four inches, in wide rows, because a dry-bean patch is a volume game. The season is hands-off from there: no picking, no succession, just weeding and even water while pods fill. Leave everything on the plant until pods go papery and the beans inside barely dent under a thumbnail, September into October. If frost or a wet week threatens first, pull whole plants and finish them hanging under cover.

Varieties

Charlevoix is a dark red kidney bred for northern seasons; Montcalm is the commercial standard and does fine here.

Pests

Mexican bean beetles graze the leaves, but a dry-bean planting tolerates cosmetic damage; intervene only if leaves go lacy. The real enemies are a rainy September and rodents raiding dry pods, and the answer to both is pulling plants promptly to finish indoors.

In the kitchen

Shelled on a winter afternoon and jarred, they cook up creamier than anything from a store bag. Chili is the obvious destination and the honest reason they get the space.