Leather Britches

…at your local farmers market!

Hello everyone, Tom Fields here with Stone Soup. Today’s picture is of a purchase a made from a vendor at the Clintwood, Virginia farmers market. ASD worked hard this spring with members of the local community to create this brand new farmers market to help give our growers a means to sell their home-grown produce.

The picture is of “Leather Britches”, an Appalachian culinary delight. Leather britches are green beans that have been strung up to dry and preserve.

The vendors method for cooking the beans:

Cooking leather britches is very similar to cooking any dried bean. The night before you cook them, fill a pot with tap water and a little salt and soak the beans for a couple hours. Drain the beans and repeat this process letting them soak overnight. Cook the beans in a slow cooker or in a deep pot on the stove for about 4 hrs with a little salt pork, bacon, fatback, or whatever you choose. These go great with new potatoes!!!