A couple of bean type questions

[pjb]

I've grown some "trail of tears" beans (I suppose they're a french type but supposedly from the Cherokee indians) these are a VERY good cropper, I've eaten some of the young green pods whole (very nice) but now they're ripening they turn purple with black beans inside (looking like small kidney beans), if I pod these how long would I cook them for?

Also how do I preserve the podded beans? I presume you dry them but how?

Any recipes using said beans would be good 

[tim]

We have them too. So far as I know, they are for beans rather than pods.

Drying? Like any other Bean.

http://www.ehow.com/how_8279_harvest-store-dry.html
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/dry/vine.html

etc!

[pjb]

Thanks Tim,

so if I've got this right you leave the beans on the plant to dry out? then finish off in the sun (not much chance of that) or oven if not quite dry?

[littlebabybird]

pjb
simply put

leave them to dry on the plant
hang them somewhere warm to finish drying

then very important freeze or oven to kill the bugs before you store
lbb