Harvest Potatoes Early

Here in Tennessee people like their green beans with potatoes. Unfortunately, you can get multiple pickings off your pole beans and still not have your potatoes start to die back. There is a solution: stealing. I just dig my fingers into the first inch or two of soil and start feeling around. Anything that feels like a potato gets twisted off the root and pulled out. Pulling surface potatoes also keeps them from getting sunlight and turning green. Doing this by hand reduces the stress to the plant.


4 1/2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes and a quart of blue lake green beans

Here is a simple and easy green beans and potato recipe:

2 quarts of fresh or canned green beans
2 to 4 cups cubed potatoes, again fresh or canned
1/2 t salt
salt pork or raw bacon to taste (I put in at least two 1-inch square pieces of salt pork)

Put all ingredients in crock pot with water to barely cover. Cook at low heat 4 to 6 hours or until hot and fork tender. Then season to taste with liberal amounts of salt and black pepper.