Beans, Shelling or Shell Beans

Appears in

Published 2001

About

Common Bean

Lima Bean

Southernpea

Fava Bean

Soybean, Green

“Shellies” is an old-time Southern term for shelling beans—legumes with seeds that are plucked from their pods to be cooked fresh, not dried. I am borrowing the affectionate sobriquet to describe a diverse bowlful of pod-dwellers that would require a chapter of explanation to group accurately.

Just as fresh-shelled English peas have become an endangered species, so have fresh limas, cranberry beans, blackeye peas, and their kin. Once ordinary home fare, shellies are now delicacies for devotees who prize their gentle savor, tender texture, and almost American seasonality (few are imported). As with fresh green peas, careful cooking and simple presentation do more for these beans than wildly creative cuisine.