Every year I grow at least one “new to me” bean. These are the beans we currently have growing.
Beans
Top left: Obviously snap beans. The long one is called Asparagus Beans. They’re kinda fun to grow . . nothing special as far as eating . . nothing wrong with them but they taste like a green bean. The one in the center of the snap beans is Royalty Purple Pod Bush Beans. Either those beans really, really like it here, or they are nothing short of amazing. They produce like crazy. I cannot go more than 2 days without picking those beans. My friend sent me some seeds and there weren’t a ton of them and I’ve already put up over 20 pints of these beans. The bean on the right is basically just a green bean. I have several varieties growing. Next year I’m only going to plant the purple beans. They’re tasty and as long as I keep them picked, they aren’t getting stringy.
The pinkish bean to the right of the snap beans is the Borlotto Divegano Nano bean. From the little research I’ve done, I think this is the same or very close to the cranberry bean. I had never grown those before and they take a while longer to grow but the bean is huge! We love these beans. They’re like huge pinto beans. I will definitely plant them next year.
The bean off to the right is Mayflower bean. It’s another new one for me. I’ve been a little disappointed with the amount of beans it has produced but they’re quite tasty – very earthy tasting. The little pods are just packed full of beans that are so smushed up from being crammed so tightly in the seed pod .. they make me smile. It reminds me of wearing shoes that are too tight and your toes getting all crunched.
The beans on the right of the bottom row (red beans/green pod) are Anasazi beans. For so many years I had only had dried storebought anasazi beans and one day I decided to plant some of those dry beans. The rest is history. As long as I have a garden, I will have anasazi beans. The lighter red beans at the top are fresh and the bottom darker, smaller beans are some I let dry to have seeds for next year.
Finally, bottom row on the left are Dragon Tongue beans. I haven’t had great luck with this bean but I think it may be a little too hot here for it’s preferences. This bean is also a relative to the cranberry bean though I think the beans are sweeter than either the cranberry or borlotto beans. If harvested young, the entire pod can be eaten but we usually let them grow and shell them.
I wish I had planted black beans. I love those but I just ran out of room this year.
Tee says
I planted Chinese long red beans this year. So far, up here in Minnesota, they are just at the seedling stage. I am anxious to see what they do. I planted black beans 2 years in a row and got so many beans I have enough for another 2 years, so I didn’t put them in this year. I love shelling beans, so I am going to be sad to not have these to do at the end of the season.
vivoaks says
That’s great that you can grow that variety of beans! I wish I could use more in my cooking, but my hubby will just not eat them. For him, baked beans are ok, but we don’t want any other beans any other way…I would eat them more, and probably be more healthy, but I don’t see the sense of fixing two meals at once. You’re lucky that Vince will eat them!! 🙂
dezertsuz says
Who knew that there were so many kinds of “green” beans! Not me.
Connie Robison says
Your beans are beautiful. I think next year I will try some of the Anasazi’s
Dar in MO says
I love how your showed the beans with their pods and fresh vs. dried. I love planting the Christmas lima beans and the Peruvian beans but this year didn’t get either in. I would love to try the Anasazi beans. Maybe I can find some of them in our new Fresh Thyme store. Do you think it would be too late to plant them here in MO for drying them?