Sister K, I never cooked mine, they were just at our mountain cabin for a bit of authenticity, but here is a recipe I found…..
Appalachian Style Leather Britches
Ingredients:
Dried green beans (as dried, above)
Water
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
2 inches square salt bacon, bacon grease, ham hock, or oil for a vegetarian option.
Directions:
Wash the dried green beans in a colander. Place in a pan with enough water to cover the beans and let stand overnight.
The next day, pour off the water and rinse beans. Place them in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the salt, 3 cups of water, and seasoning meat or oil. Cook over medium heat for roughly three hours. Check for doneness after a couple of hours, adding more water if needed.
After fully cooked, add some salt, pepper, or even a tad of sugar to taste. Leather britches tend to swell up as they cook, so be careful how much you cook up. A little goes a long way! The cooking liquid improves the longer it’s allowed to simmer.
This traditional Appalachian dish is wonderful served alongside some hot cornbread and sliced raw onion.
LOL
I see this after my post.
Try them...they really are delicious...but on the chewy side.
Thanks for the info.
I never soak overnight...at the most 30 minutes if I get distracted....
My Aunt Alice always made the BEST Green Beans with Bacon.
Fry up 4 slices or so of bacon. Remove bacon to paper towels, crumble.
Keeping the bacon fat in the pan, add your raw, cleaned green beans and brown them a bit in the oil. Lower heat and add some water to the pan, just enough to cover the beans and cover, but keep the cover vented a bit on one side. Steam the beans until they’re to the desired texture, but at least until all of the water is gone. Add the crumbled bacon and some black pepper to taste.
Heaven on a plate! :)