The only way to tell if a shelly can be used for a snap is to try. Some can and some can't. I have one bean which is really best for dry seed. If I pick the pods really really small I can get away with eating them as snaps. But, it's not worth it.

George
Tahlequah, OK

Thanks for the info, George.

I realized it was kind of cruel to post about my dilemma and not describe the bean seeds. There are at least 6 different kinds.

1. The smallest one is white & kidney shaped but a quarter of the size of a kidney bean. Flageolet bean?

2. The second is a small tan bean, bigger than the first but still maybe one third the size of a kidney bean. It looks like a bean you would use to make typical baked beans.

3. The third is a beige bean with black speckles, almost twice as large as the second. Refugee bean?

4. This next one is slightly large then the third. It is beige with black swirls. Peregion bean?

5. The fifth is on par in size to the fourth. It is beige with darker beige swirls.

6. The sixth is slightly larger. It is beige with a red swirl. It could be Boston Favorite or Cranberry.

After my brief research, it seems like most of these are shelling beans.