Beans, beans, what a wonderful fruit...
Identification
There are as many varieties of beans as there are stories about rich men not giving away money. The beans we tend to use in bean soup, however, all seem to grow more or less the same way; man-high creepers with largish leaves in threes or fives and long slender seed pods. The pods all look nearly alike, with some colour variations when dry. The seeds can be a multitude of sizes, colours, shapes and usefulness.
Harvesting
Harvesting is done at three stages; the young leaves are used for spinach, the young beans are eaten as green beans, and once the green bean becomes stringy, they are left to ripe on the vine. Once the husk turns light brown, pick and peel out the mature beans inside. Recipes abound, or keep for seed.
Preparation
Preparation of beans depend on the bean, the nearest old lady should have a book full of recipes for each one.
Uses
Beans are counter-indicated at times of neural stress. The dew collected from the slightly hairy leaves is mythic in its power as a morning face wash for the most beautiful skin.
