Growing Doomsday Dry Bean Seeds

Growing doomsday dry bean seeds is something to consider. Here we are providing you the information on how many dry beans one would need on hand in an emergency situation, if all one had to eat were dry beans. David recommends the Pinto bean as a good bean for growing. You cannot hide this bean with color, but when dried and stored properly (in a cool, dry place) the seeds will last for many years in its edible form. Only a few are needed for growing.

Pinto Bean in the Raw

Growing Doomsday Dry Bean Seeds

Now there are many types of dry beans but we will focus on the pinto for this page. It is the easiest to grow, store, and cook. Plus, almost everyone here in Texas loves the pinto bean. It is a tasty and nutritious protein, served in homes and restaurants across our great state. If you have enjoyed refried beans, these are made with pinto beans which are a staple here.

You will be interested to know that one cup of pinto beans contains about 245 calories, plain with nothing added to it. One plant will produce about one cup of beans. On a 2,000 calorie diet we would need about nine cups of beans per day. That is nine plants per person per day. That is a lot of plants and a lot of beans to eat in one day.

Dry pinto beans are known for their protein and fiber content which are good for a healthy body.

We would need 3,285 plants a year. One plant would produce about 100 seeds. That would be another 400 seeds for seed production. And we would want 400 seeds in reserve for emergency and/or trading purposes. 

Let's say we would need 4,000 bean seeds.

Cooked Pinto Bean

Pinto beans, if kept dry, will last for years for seed production. Even more years for eating. Pinto beans are really the best all around food in a doomsday situation.

Native to Mexico, pinto beans take about 90 to 150 days to grow as a dry bean but can be harvested earlier and eaten as a green snap bean. They require very little care, although they need more space between plants than other bean types. Since they are indigenous to subtropical climes, they can be sensitive to cold.

In a raised bed that is four feet wide by eight feet long, you can grow about 400 plants. You would need ten raised beds of 32 square feet to grow 4000 plants. 

I would plant one plot a week or every two weeks to stagger my plantings so I am not trying to harvest and process a whole lot of beans at one time. 

If I want dry beans I will leave them on the plants until the pods dry out and turn brittle to the touch. It will be much easier to thresh them.

"Threshing is the process of removing seeds from the plant and breaking up remaining plant materials (e.g., stems and leaves), into what is called chaff. The dry seed heads attached to the plants are rubbed or crushed to release the seed and break down the plant material. This step facilitates the subsequent separation of the seeds from the plant materials in the seed cleaning process."

Bean Pinto Plant

One cup of pinto beans boiled with salt provides:

• Calories: 245
• Carbs: 45 grams
• Fiber: 15 grams
• Protein: 15 grams
• Fat: 1 gram
• Sodium: 407 mg
• Thiamine: 28% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Iron: 20% of the DV
• Magnesium: 21% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 20% of the DV
• Potassium: 16% of the DV

As you can see, the pinto bean is very nutritious. You can add some cilantro, garlic, chives, cayenne, tomatoes, and just about anything will go good with pinto beans.

Growing Doomsday Dry Bean Seeds - Harvest

It does not do any good to grow and harvest unless you have a good plan for hiding your harvest. I would split the pinto bean harvest up into thirds. (Never put all of your eggs or beans into one basket!) There are too many people who will want to steal your survival food and hard work.

One third I would leave on the shelf so that if scavengers come, they will take the shelf harvest and think that is all you have.

I would take the second third and hide it nearby. Make it easy for a scavengers to find one of your hidden caches. Once they find it hopefully they will move on. Maybe even provide protection for you since they will want you to provide more seeds,

The last third should be planted far away, about a 1/4 mile from the house. I would hide a map away from the house, buried in the ground showing where the thirds are. Make sure there are no noticeable pathways to your seed caches.

Here is a link to our Dry Bean Seeds from David's Garden Seeds®. 

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