Jimster, they are both very old heirlooms.

Soldier is a pre-1800 dry bush bean, particularly popular in New England. There's a Southern Soldier which has the same markings, only the soldier is black instead of reddish tan.

Maine Yellow Eye (aka Butterscotch) also is a bush dry bean that has been dated at least to 1860.

Is anyone familiar with them? Are they of any interest to heirloom bean growers?

As Brook has mentioned, they are well known.

And for sure they are of interest to heirloom bean growers but there are many sources for both varieties.

Just look at some of the NE seed suppliers such as Pinetree and Fedco and Johnny's, etc., who offer them from time to time, or Vermont Bean Seed Co, ( used to be VT owned, but not now)aside from all the other sources and I think you'll see that they are known almost everywhere, not just here in the NE.

Carolyn, who lives on the NY/VT border and is a confirmed baked bean person, but be sure to load them up with huge chunks of meaty pork and try adding a tad of maple syrup instead of molasses.

Thanks to both of you for the historical information and the cooking tips. Both are helpful.

Jim

>and I think you'll see that they are known almost everywhere, not just here in the NE. I didn't mean to imply otherwise, Carolyn. If I did, I apologize.

What I meant, merely, was that historically Soldier and, to a lesser extent, Yellow Eye are associated more with New England. Indeed, in old-time New England recipes for baked beans, when they said "bean" they meant either Soldier or Cranberry more times than not. Jacobs Cattle was another popular choice when a meatier bean was preferred. Yellow Eye was _the_ bean of choice in Maine.

There are, too, numerous variations on the themes. As noted, there is a Southern Soldier that has black markings instead of red. Recently I came into a varient that has dark mahogany markings; so deep I thought it was black (but I also have a red/green deficiency) until corrected by Friend Wife and others. This mahogany Soldier comes from Western Kentucky where, at one time, it was commercially available simply as Soldier.

There is a Vermont Yellow Eye, which may or may not be the same bean as the Maine Yellow Eye. And a plain old Yellow Eye which, again, may or may not be the same bean. There is also a Yellow Eye from the southwest, which is a different bean altogether.

In the recipe section of his book, John Withee has about a dozen recipes for baked beans. Most of them merely specify "dry beans," without a varietal preference. But it's interesting that under "John Withee's Baked Beans" he specifies Jacob's Cattle (another bean associted with New England), Yellow Eye, or Soldier beans. And in "Grandma's Home Baked Beans" he specifies Soldier.

While baked beans tend to be associated with the north, in the south dry beans were primarily used to make soup and to be barbequed.

Unfortunately, among old timers (particularly in the mountains), any smallish, light colored dry beans were collectively known simply as "soup beans." Sometimes there was a variety grown just for that purpose. But just as often they merely let their main crop dry and used that as a soup bean.

So, whereas we can easily identify the preferred choices for baked beans (even within subregions), it is much more difficult to do that with soup beans.

>and I think you'll see that they are known almost everywhere, not just here in the NE. I didn't mean to imply otherwise, Carolyn. If I did, I apologize.

You didn't imply otherwise.

Actually I was writing about seed sources in that paragraph and should have used a phrase other than....known everywhere.

I should have written something like... can be found in many catalogs/websites.... in terms of a seed source.

Carolyn, who notes another of her fave dry beans which are Cranberry beans, another NE specialty bean. But they aren't good for baked beans b/c they are too soft and turn to mush. I like them best with Lima's and/or corn for succotash. But who eats succotash these days? LOL

"But who eats succotash these days? LOL"

Me, me, me!

But not too often, because Friend Wife cannot handle corn.

When I do make it, though, I do so in the colonial style, which included meat. Growing up, I'd never had it that way. Mom made it with limas, corn, milk, and a bit of diced-small sweet red peppers.
>But they aren't good for baked beans b/c they are too soft and turn to mush. Thank you. Thought I was the only one who felt that way about Cranberry beans. But I have New England friends who insist that Cranberry is the _only_ bean to use, and got tired of arguing the point.

I've grown soldier beans for the last three years. Pretty easy to grow and reliable. Big bush plant. I've seen them thrive in hard clay soil as well as good garden soil. They are a big bean when cooked up. I use them in my "everything home-grown" chili. If you'd like some, send me an email. We can either do a trade or SASBE.

-Stephanie

I live in northern CA. & would like to know where I can buy Yelloweye Beans AND seeds to plant.
Thanks

source

Here is a link that might be useful: victory beans

bulk quantities are available here.

purcell

DarJones

I once traded 70 types of beans,all of which were from dried beans sold as food , and yellow eyed beans were my most popular trade. You can use the beans from the whole dried beans you get in the store for seeds to plant . They are said to be the best for baked beans .

Wow, I looked at those sources listed. I buy yellow eye beans for $1.89/lb at a local grocery store in WVa. when I visit down there. I buy 10 bags or so to last me several months. Those on the web pages are expensive!