Q and A: growing gourds and drying Lima beans

Growing gourds

Do (can) you grow gourds up there in the Great White North? If so, what types? Is it possible to grow them in the Medford, Oregon area? I’d like to grow penguin gourds for crafts and such…

Wil Scarrow
Gold Hill, Oregon

Yes, we can and do grow gourds here in Northern Minnesota. I think it’s our long summer days where it gets daylight at five in the morning and is still light until ten at night. It sure makes plants grow better than what you’d think they might. And yes, you can grow them in Medford, Oregon. To get an early start, you can start seeds in peat pots or pellets about four weeks before your last anticipated spring frost, then set them out in a warm location. They should do great. And they are sure fun to grow. — Jackie

Drying Lima beans

Last year I laid out my Lima beans (freshly grown) on a large cookie sheet and left it in the sun for about 5-6hrs then I placed them in the dehydrator on low setting for two days. Then I placed them in a quart mason (clean) with lid and placed them in storage. I was going to make Lima beans and beef, but my beans were brown and some were black (I threw them out on my compost pile). My question is what did I do wrong; any ideas? Did end up making Navy beans and Hamburg instead.

Ralph
Berlin, Pennsylvania

I think your limas were so thick that they needed more drying time to get totally dry. Were they green limas or dry, mature limas? I’m thinking dry, mature limas. Instead of dehydrating them, I’d just keep them on a cookie sheet in the sun for several days (or weeks!), which is what I do with my dry beans and thick squash/pumpkin seeds. That way they dry naturally and all of the moisture is removed. Try again this year; all homesteading is a learning curve and we all make mistakes along the way. — Jackie