Have you ever eaten mature beans this way? And if so, what is your favorite variety & why?

Some of the smaller beans are really good as shellies. But it's so much trouble to grow enough of them to get a mess that I rarely bother. I'm more likely to harvest cowpeas in the shelly stage then small common beans.

Although I agree with you that shellies are a great way of eating beans, I don't have the space to either freeze or can great numbers of them. Instead, I do a lot of drying of beans.

"Mostoller Wild Goose" is already scheduled for my 2007 growout, so now I will be looking forward to it.

I agree with you about shellies generally being the larger-seeded varieties. While bigger is not always better, you have to start somewhere. One of the reasons I drive to Heritage Farm (Seed Savers) each September is to look for possible shelly candidates - that was how I found "Ma Williams".

For the last three years, I have been working my way through many of the larger "horticultural" types, and still have several varieties left to trial for 2007. There are differences in maturity & disease tolerance, and some variations in size or color... but I probably couldn't tell them apart in a blind taste test.

I did find one smaller bean that was worth growing as a shelly, "Soissons Vert", which I received from Will Weaver. It is a pole flageolet-type, with light green seeds about the size of Great Northern. Very tender & tasty, either shelly or dry.

Rose is one of the prettiest beans around. Not the pods, which are essentially green, but the actual beans. About a third of the bean is a cranberry or plum color. This breaks off into frosting, against an ivory ground color.

Send me your snail mail privately at KentuckySeeds@hotmail.com and I'll get a sample pack of them off to you. My recommendation is that you start them indoors two-three weeks before to get a jump-start on the season, as they are a long maturing bean.

Unfortunately, I don't have enough Kentucky Goose to spare. I'm due for a grow-out of them myself. But they're fairly common. In the SSE Yearbook they are listeed, under bean/pole/snap merely as "Goose." Two growers offered them in the latest yearbook.

This bean is sometimes found under other names. Bruce Shepard, of Wheatfield, Indiana, provided us with a bean called, by him, Brown Cornfield. However, it is visually indistinguishable from the Kentucky Goose, and is considerably larger than any cornfield bean I've seen.

The Kentucky Goose is said to have been crossed unmercifully. But Bill Best has recreated a pure line of them, and he may have seed available for sale.

There is another variety, originally from the Viper, KY, area, also called Kentucky Goose locally. But this is a small, speckled bean with no resemblence to the large brown bean we are discussing.

In both cases they are part of that apocryphal "found in the crop of a wild bird" tradition.

There were several other shelly candidates in my trials this year:
- "Jembo Polish" (like most shellies) is listed as a snap, with fairly short, wide pods. While most of the "horticultural" types ripen to a pod coloration similar to the photo above, this one ripens to creamy yellow w/purple (not maroon) stripes. The shelly was large, fine textured & rich, exceptional flavor, but hard to shell. Color of the dry seed is white, with concentric black stripes around the hilum. The source seed (from a swap) had poor germ & after roguing 2 of 3 survivors for off-types (more cross-pollination problems!), I was left with only _one_ plant to save seed! Hopefully it is pure, I'll grow it again next year for observation before I offer it to others.
- "Madeira" also had poor germination in the source seed, but the surviving 5 plants produced well. While the seed had maroon speckles, the background was slightly more pink than buff, the vines were more restrained than most of the "horticulturals", and it produced earlier. The flavor was intensely "beany", rather than sweet, not especially appealing as a shelly.
- "King Horticultural" looked sickly all year, but produced fairly well. It is very similar to "Wren's Egg" in size & shape, with maroon-over-white coloration (cooks down to all-white), medium-sized but _very_ fat seeds. A very attractive "cranberry" type, but not the heaviest yielder.
- "Brita's Foot Long" was grown as a dry bean, but was the surprise winner of the shelly trial. It is a vigorously branching pole variety, with 8-9" pods borne top-to-bottom, very well-filled with 8-10 large white seeds. There were almost no dead cells in the pods, and the seed size was very consistent. The shelly was rich, fine-textured, and thin-skinned; _outstanding_ flavor, comparable to that of a "flageolet" variety.

All of these varieties (as well as "Portugal" and "Canon City", grown last year) are endangered; perhaps nowhere more than shelly beans is the loss of diversity so keenly felt. These varieties are vanishing rapidly, and deserve far greater attention.

BarbaraMel, I had already considered growing "Gina" for its disease resistance & wide pods... and I test all beans for shelly potential. Most of the beans I grow are pole varieties, but I usually trial two bush varieties each year, and "Gina" is at the top of the list. But I haven't ordered it yet... so thanks for the reminder. ;-)

P.S. Sorry for the wide photo; I know that many hate to scroll across the screen. Still trying to master the digital world! Any suggestions as to how to avoid this (without permanently altering the photo) would be greatly appreciated.

The first pod of black coco has beans which are brown and black. Looks the way greasy beans were described. The second pod was beautiful. The first pod of etna's were all cream and no color. The second pod was beautiful. I hope to obtain enough from each to try again next year. Black beans are my husband's favorite.

That's a heck of a bean. Looks like ten of 'em would make a dozen. :>)

To top it off, they seem to possess strong resistance to rust & some to mosaic; "Ma Williams" got rust during a long rainy spell, and "Bird Egg #3" (directly adjacent) showed no sign of infection.

But like the beans you mentioned above, Gardenlad, I've got to get them in early to be successful. I started them in peat pots last year, and virtually all pods matured. This year, two weeks later & direct-seeded, they were just beginning when hit by frost. So it's back to starting them in pots... They would probably do best in an area where the first frost comes in late October.

When I get more time I'm going to study this thread for ideas for my own garden next year. Maureen

In searching the USDA data on beans (for possible clues to its origin), I found that there is a fairly good chance that "Bird Egg #3" originated in the Hungarian region. I also found that _very_ few common beans - literally, only a handful - get this large.

And believe it or not, a couple actually get even larger; but they are "nunas" (popping beans) that are daylength-sensitive, and could (maybe?) only be grown in frost-free areas of the southern U.S. At one time, there was a breeding project to creater nunas that could be grown commercially in the U.S.; they are a very popular snack food in South America. But apparently those hopes were never realized, and seed for the original varieties has become very difficult to find.

Meanwhile I am bumbed to read in the Vermont catalog that the MarrowFat has an "inedible" pod... that wasnt mentioned last month when I bought it from another company. Hope you can at least eat MarrowFat as a shelly if not as a snap.

A reminder, Bill Best and Sandhill ought to be taking orders about now.

I'm going to go out on a limb & say that the "Marrowfat" will probably make an excellent shelly; many of the larger dry beans are good either way.

You probably won't be able to find the Bird Egg #3; other than myself & SSE, it may only be in the vaults of a few private collectors. It saddens me that there are so many wonderful vegetables (beans especially) that may die in storage, their very existence unknown to us; part of the reason that I joined SSE - and GW - was to try to save a few of them from extinction. I will be listing the variety in the 2007 SSE Yearbook (and in my swap list on GW), hoping to give it greater exposure.

George

I grow mostly "shellies", because we just love them. I've grown:

"Lina Cisco" (disappointingly not true pole bean, more like a bush, and gave small yield)
"Wren's Egg" (like Lina but more delicious, prolific, wider than those shown above)
"True Cranberry" (from Maine, small, prolific, taste like kidney beans)
Flageolets (several, all bush, fantastic flavor). Nothing like cassoulet made with fresh flageolets vs. dry. Yum.

This year I found Gourmet Seeds Int'l, and I bought two new pole beans, "Stregonta" (pole borlotto type), and "Bianco de Spagna" (pole cannellini). I can't wait to taste them as fresh shellies, braised with a little garlic and fresh thyme!

And thanks for the company recommendation; I checked out their website, and may order from them in the future. They have one of the largest selections of shell beans that I have seen commercially, and a good selection of European runner beans. They also have one of my favorite pole snap beans, "Garafal Oro", which had been thought to be commercially extinct.

BTW, that source also has nice selection of European greens. I ordered something called "Rapa senza testa", turnips without turnips(we don't like turnips, but love their greens). The $2.39 packet is huge, must have thousands of seeds. Let me know if they are of interest and I'll send you some!

Jerry

The beans are a beautiful rich dark brown, though, and are smaller than the KY Goose & Brown Cornfield (which are the same bean, btw). KY Goose & Brown Cornfield are more of a dark kakai, whereas the Aunt Rhody is a true brown. Aunt Rhody is a bush bean, whereas the other two are pole types.

I have some old seed---from 2001---which may or may not be viable. You're welcome to it if you're interested. Contact me privately at KentuckySeeds@hotmail.com if you're interested. My seed came from a grower in Linton, IN, which would put it in the same general area as your husband's granny; so I'm confident this is the bean you're looking for.

I've had some trouble getting them to be palatable... they are not my favorites as shellies. The size is promising, but the tough skin & strong flavor were not appealing to me. On the other hand, many limas & large pole beans are very good.

We harvest both kinds when the shells start to turn yellow and they are easy to shell. We enjoy them steamed with butter, salt, pepper and some grated cheese.

The ones that dry out make great chilli.

Several other varieties were trialed as shellies this year, so I thought I would add them to this thread. Most are heirlooms, or were sent to me as swaps.

Part of this year's shellies. Clockwise from upper left are "Bert Goodwin", an unknown Serbian wax, "PI 507984", and "Jembo Polish".

"Bird Egg #3" and "Jembo Polish" were regrown this year, and are described above. Happily, the "Jembo Polish" now appears to be pure seed.

"PI 507984" is a true bush variety, with a very upright habit & no runners. It was extremely vigorous, with dense foliage & a very heavy yield. It was also very early for such a large bean... harvest was _complete_ in 90 days. This variety is deserving of wider cultivation, especially in short-season areas.

The "Bert Goodwin" is a half-runner vine, with most of the crop borne in the first 24". It cropped very heavily, and was earlier than all but "PI 507984". It was sent to me as a dry bean; but like most good shellies that I have tried, it was also pretty good as a snap.

The unknown Serbian wax bean was also half-runner habit. While a few runners reached the top of the trellis, the majority of the yield was borne near the ground, where branching was heavy. The wide, flat yellow pods were OK as a snap, but the quality of the large shellies was also very good.

"True Red Cranberry" is a true pole, with the yield borne evenly from top to bottom. The short pods are fibrous, unsuitable for use as snaps. The seeds are a dark, glossy red, nearly spherical, and very attractive... but not overly large. I have to agree with Organicburro, the seeds taste very much like Red Kidney. It was later than the others, which is why it is not in the photo. A nearly identical cultivar, "Isla" (from Chile) was later still, and I only have a handful of dry seed as I write this.

This was a year to regrow one of my favorite snaps, "Garafal Oro", for seed replenishment. The dry seed harvest was exceptionally large, so I took the last ripe pods as shellies. While they were fairly tough-skinned, they were also very sweet... but the best use for this variety remains its exceptionally-flavored snaps.

I hope that they read this & respond, because this is an interesting bean which I intend to share widely... and I would like to do so using its real name.

They sent me another Serbian pole wax, named "Tisa". While unsuitable for use as a shelly, it had a very unique & unusual flavor. I was able to harvest a considerable amount of dry seed from both samples.

Also I will be container gardening in somewhat limited space. If you had room for only one bean, which one would you grow?

Does anyone know if that temperature will damage young bean plants?

Jim

One year I grew a variety called "Atlas" which I got from Vermont Bean Seed years ago. It's along the lines of Tongues of Fire. Pods are good, and shellies are too. I have a few seeds left and haven't seen them offered in years. They're a bush bean but need to be tied to a support when the pods start to ripen, or they drag in the dirt.

I don't usually plant anything except pole beans because they are hard for me to pick. I have 10 inches of steel in my back so I don't bend and I have to get down on the ground to pick.

I thought I might try planting some in a big pot just to see how they tasted as fresh beans. Do you know?

I grew Pintos as green beans once in the fall. Some varieties will be gangly for a bush snap bean. I planted mine near a short fence and it was a good thing I did. What I remember about the pods was that they were very flat. But I think I pick green beans younger than my in-laws do. They like them after the seeds have started to develop.

Seed Savers is selling a cross between Pinto and a purple bean this year, Red Swan, which is supposed to be stringless.

Don't try to grow Contender like my inlaws prefer them (big and hearty) in cool fall weather. The pods get fibrous, though they still don't develop a string. Fortunately, Contender (Buff Valentine) would probably also be a decent shelly bean.

As far as I know, I am the only public source for the PI 507984. There has been considerable interest in it this year, and my seed supply is nearly exhausted... I've mailed out nearly a pound of seed! I will be planting a large seed/harvest crop this year, and should have it available for swaps again starting this Fall.

"Bert Goodwin" is available in seed saving circles (such as SSE). It did exceptionally well for me last year, three pounds of seed from a ten-foot row! That, and two meals of shellies.

If you are interested in either "Canon City" or "Bert Goodwin", you don't need a swap, just contact me via my Member Page.

You should, however, tear off any exposed edges of the pots just prior to planting - the portion above the soil line. If any of the edges are exposed after transplanting, they will wick moisture away from the roots. In the worst case, the soil will pull away from the pot, and the seedling will die... but more likely, they will just get a weaker start, because they will only be able to root from the bottom.

I now have samples of "Ma Williams" and Bill Best's "Goose." They appear identical visually. I will report on how both do later.

One more question for you and others on this thread: In the past I have sown bush snap beans in wide beds with a crowded block spacing of 6X6 inches. For larger plants such as "PI 507984" or "Bert Goodwin" (if treated as a bush plant), or for seed saving purposes how would, say, 12X12 or similar spacing work for block planting?

I have noticed that "Britta's Foot Long" pole bean seeds are much larger when grown with your wide spacing than other Britta's seeds that I have seen.

As for spacing... "PI 507984", while very vigorous, is a true upright bush. 12" spacing each way should work well.

"Bert Goodwin" is another matter. Grown without support, it would be wider, and the plants would probably lay on their sides as they begin to get weighed down by pods. I grew them 12" apart along a short trellis, and they were about 18" wide at the base at maturity. 12" spacing might help them support each other - or they could be a tangled mess! I wish I could tell you more... but I've never tried half-runners grown in wide rows. Fortunately, the pods are fairly large, so you should be able to find them in either case.

Wide spacing does seem to have the advantage of larger seeds, and better pod fill. Having seen how well "Brita's" responded to it, I may give it more than my usual 12" spacing when I grow it again - perhaps 16".

Not this year, though... I still have a large number of heirlooms to trial, and next year as well. After that, I hope to whittle my collection down to the 30-40 beans most worthy of preservation, and grow those that I like on a more regular basis... including "Brita's".

Gardenlad decided to shut down his Appalachian Heirloom Seed Conservancy due to lack of response. I hope he will somehow continue to share his expertise.

Well, I have about 100 "Rose", "Britta's", "Goose", "Ma Williams" and "PI 507984" plants in peat pots. It was interesting to see how aggressively the roots poked through the pots. It is time to plant them out and also direct seed the rest. Alas, the local 10 day forecast is calling for highs of 67 today, then 61, 65, 57, 59, 59, 57, 60, 60, and 62. Way below normal for early June. So I am wondering about waiting to see if things improve. This La Niña cool spell is apparently not over yet. Wonder if my wife would be willing to move to balmy Oshkosh! At least we do not expect frost until late October.

"Well, I have about 100 "Rose"..."
Fascinating... I just started some in peat pots as well. Did you get yours from GL?

I really miss his presence on GW, we had some interesting & spirited discussions. The Bean Forum just isn't the same without his sage counsel. I had heard of last year's AHSC cancellation, and knew it must have cut him deeply. I also hope he will return in some capacity... he still has plenty of friends here who share his vision.

Germinaton of the larger "Britta's" seed was 100% and was earlier that of a sample of smaller seeds.

I would appreciate it if I could have some comments on the minimum temperatures that people would look for before sowing most common shelly bean seeds. Like: I direct seed if the daily high temperature for the next week is forecast to be at least_____.

If you search this forum for "bean isolation" or "bean crossing", you will find many discussions of the issue. I am providing a link to one of the better threads... crossing is discussed about half-way down the page.

By placing other flowering plants ("barrier crops") between different P vulgaris bean varieties, you can reduce the distances required for (reasonably) pure seed. The taller the barrier, and the more likely it is to bloom at the same time as the beans, the better the protection. Pole limas & runner beans are excellent for this purpose.

Growing up I was not a bad fan of Lima beans, which were usually boiled and tasteless. I have not eaten any since.

Dean

Zeedman, all the bean seeds that did not go into peat pots were sprouted indoors as the soil temperature by early June was only around 60F. Summer did actually arrive though and the temperatures since mid-June have been in the normal range.

The bean plants in peat pots were a partial success. I had the plants in a hoop house just sitting on the soil. So they developed large root masses that I had to dig up. After they were planted out in the garden, the plants all became very clorotic and sad looking.

The "Britta's" faired best and are now about 6 feet up their poles. (I have some on poles, some on trellises.)

Rose plants did not like being dug up at all. They look ok now but they have not yet started to climb.

So next year the peat pots will go in trays with sand or potting mix.

"45/90" is the name of a shelly from an SSE member. It was listed as pole dry bean with enormous seeds that could be grown as a "rangy bush." The seeds are indeed very big, but the plants did not have any visible cotyledons so it appears to be a runner bean and may have half runner habit.

"Bianco di Spagna" also has very big seeds and also appears to be a runner bean.

I planted some "PI 507984" in a self watering container in a greenhouse and they have a lot of blossoms and small beans. I wonder if they would make a good snap but do not want to waste any future seed by trying them.

There is also a self watering container of "Bert Goodwin" in the greenhouse. The runners are about 4 feet high so far. I planted some in the garden under trellises and some in the bush section. If those have 4-5 foot runners the bush patch will be quite an interesting sight!

Because of the late start, most of the heirloom beans I had intended to grow for seed will have to wait for next year - I don't want to waste the seed. However, I put in a big crop of "PI 507984", which I hope will still have time to mature. Last year they only took 90 days to reach dry stage. It will be my only shelly, unless "Rose" makes it to maturity. The seedlings just have their first true leaf, and look very healthy... I just need to keep the bunnies away, they are being a real pain this year.

As you have already noticed, "PI 507984" gets an impressive number of flowers, followed by a heavy pod set. I tried a few as snaps, and they were not bad; but I agree that it would be a waste to use them that way. The shellies are so much better!

"Rose" was started as transplants in peat strips, and put out in June. So far, the plants have languished... hopefully they will do better now that they are mulched.

The runners on "Bert Goodwin" shouldn't get much longer; it is a half-runner variety. I think SSE calling it "bush" is stretching the truth, so to speak. ;-)

If "45/90" turns out to be a white-seeded runner bean (as is likely, given your description), you should inform the source - I assume it was NM DU C? - and SSE, that the species listed is incorrect.

It appears that we will be Niño/Niña neutral for the rest of the summer and fall so hopefully you will not have another early frost like last year. Last fall was much colder and cold earlier than usual here too.

NM DU C says that he agrees that "45/90" is a runner bean and says that he has never eaten them. About 10% of the seeds are brown. I did CC my email to SSE.

The greenhouse "Bert Goodwins" plants seem to have stopped climbing at 5 1/2 feet and now have dozens of blossoms.

In the garden, of a couple dozen shelly types, only the "PI 507984" plant that were in peat pots have any blossoms so far but the other plants are looking pretty good now.

The greenhouse self watering container plants are way ahead of the garden plants. I do not know if it that they get more steady moisture, or have better soil, or if it is just that they get warmer temperatures for more of the day.

The "Rose" plants are starting to climb but get off to a slow start compared to, say, "Britta's" which get started climbing at a much earlier age. - Richard

We had our first mess of shellies of the season tonight.

I picked a number of pods of a runner bean called "Bond's Orcas Lima". The pods had not started to turn yellow yet but they were plump with large white seeds. Much to my surprise, the seeds turned green when cooked. I wonder if other white seeded runner beans turn green like that. Anyway, they make good shellies and did not have tough skins.

We also had some "Goose" shellies. The first Goose pods have turned a beautiful yellow and rose before "Ma Williams" have, perhaps due to better afternoon sun. It was interesting that the Goose/Ma Williams were slower than Brita's to make snap beans, but faster to make shellies. The Brita's are not yet to shelly stage, but it is looking like they will make it.

We also treated ourselves to a few "PI 507984" and they were very good. The rest will have to be saved for seed.

The "Rose" plants are interesting. They are growing around poles. They are planted close to the poles, but they are extremely bushy, about four feet diameter at the bases. They finally have reached the top of the poles and are covered with blossoms. There are some tiny beans, but at the current rate of progress it looks like a few snaps is the best we can expect.

The "Snowcap" plants look good and have large pods. I am hoping that they will fill out in time.

My own beans are still lagging behind. "PI 507984" has a very good pod set, and the pods have really fattened up, so I think they will make it. "Rose" had been in half-day shade, and was just limping along; but after I took down the tree that was shading it, the vines really took off. Nothing gets in the way of my beans! ;-) There are quite a few large pods now, so I hope to get some dry seed... but barring that, I should at least get some shellies.

A couple other heirlooms show some potential as shellies, but they are being s-l-o-w to fatten up, and I'm already dealing with a short Summer. If they make any progress, and prove to be worth eating, I'll update this thread.

As of tonight, everything in the garden looks fine. I don't know how long it takes for frost damage to show. Went out and picked the "Brita's" and "PI 507984" pods that are at shelly stage or better.

Incidentally, I experimented and planted a row of Tennessee Cutshort with a couple Insuk's Wang Kong mixed in, on August 8. They are both now flowering and have small pods on them! Looks like we're going to get another crop of beans before frost! We've been canning snaps mixed with shellies pretty regularly, and that, from our first planting (May 11). Our summer was cool (comparatively speaking, for Oklahoma) and with enough moisture, that these vines never did dry down.

George

Thank you chaman, I will see what I can find. - Dick

Incidentally (to all) back in the late 90s a Mexican friend, with family in Zapotec territory in Oaxaca, gave me seed to a bean his family had brought from there. I totally forgot about it, and forgot to label it. But in 2004 I accidentally planted it, thinking I'd found an old sack of Tennessee Cutshort seed. That year, in NJ, we had an unusually late first frost, and I did manage to get seed (albeit somewhat underdeveloped). Since then I haven't succeeded, since it's daylight sensitive. But this year I sent some seed to a Seed Savers Exchange member in HI and I planted a couple in a bucket. The ones in the bucket are presently making snaps. I'll bring that bucket onto our sun porch if necessary, in order to get seed.

The reason I'm so excited about this bean is that it is a LARGE FAT podded Greasy bean! I've never heard of a Greasy bean from outside the SE USA. But this one is native Zapotec Indian. Someday I'd like to try using it for some crosses and see if I can get a less daylight sensitive variety.

George

Eventually, I increased those times, because the water had not returned to a boil in the time allotted. I never use less than 3 minutes for smaller beans, and about 5 for the largest beans & limas. These times are based upon a pound of seed; so I weigh out a pound, pour it into a quart freezer container, and measure by volume from then on. I blanch the beans using a steamer kettle with a deep removable basket. As with freezing any vegetable, it is handy to have two baskets, so one can be cooking while the other is cooling.

Once the beans are blanched, I remove the basket & place it immediately in the sink, where I have pre-filled a large kettle with cold water. I stir the beans to immerse them, and to cool them quickly. Once they are cool & drained, I pack them into boxes to freeze them. It is not as critical to vacuum-seal the frozen shell beans as it would be for snaps, but I generally do so, to increase their storage life. I have kept frozen shellies for 2 years in vacuum bags, with no loss of quality.

Next year, after I have purchased a suitably large pressure cooker, I intend to experiment with canning shellies as opposed to freezing them. If the quality proves to be acceptable, it would free up freezer space for other things.

We had 30F on Friday night which took out the squash and bean leaves. I was out of town at the time. Most of the beans that are at shelly stage look fine and are much easier to see now! There are loads of "Snowcap" and several others that still need to be picked. There are even a lot of "Ma Williams" left even though we have had a mess most every night for a few weeks. They are probably my favorite, steamed in the shell. As soon as I get the rest of the shellies salvaged I will do a report.

"Rose" did poorly for me as well, even though it was started as transplants. I knew it required a long season, but I was still largely unprepared for just how long. The frost which all but killed my country garden, left the gardens around my home largely unaffected - or "Rose" might not have made it to seed.

There were mitigating factors this year; the lack of sunny days in early Summer, heavy rains, below normal temperatures, partial shade provided by a tree (I cut it down in early August). Still, "Rose" came in at 132 DTM for dry seed... which is just about the length of my warm-weather growing season, and much too long for me to grow it reliably.

I found the snaps to be very tasty, and will be trying the shellies soon; but other than for preservation, I doubt I will grow it again. Only the lateness of the killing frost has allowed me to collect a good quantity of seed.

One goal for this summer was to find out what would grow well at a location where the average daytime high on August 1 is 76 F and the average nighttime low is 52 F. Last frost is expected about May 1 and the first about October 25.

This was a summer that was described by many as the most difficult gardening season they could remember. Spring arrived here weeks late and fall frosts were early with 30 F on October 11 which killed the bean leaves and 29 F on the 15th.

The "Himalayan" blackberries started to ripen a month late and then most of them just died on the vines. So it was a good time to see what plants might thrive here most any summer.

All bean seeds were pre-sprouted and were planted out on June 14 and 15 unless otherwise noted. Pole beans were planted in 14 foot rows north to south, some on trellises and some on poles. There was a 14 foot row of each pole variety with extra "Brita’s" and "Goose"/"Ma Williams"

It became obvious that I had gotten in over my head with too many varieties and I ended up with poor records on some.

"45/90" was thought to be a pole dry common bean so it was planted late, on 6/14. But turned out to be a runner with some plants with pole habit and some half-runner habit. Some had red blossoms and some white. They were early enough to produce dry seed. No reports of eating qualities.
"Azores" is a bush dry bean with medium size shellies, shelly stage by 9/14 and mostly dry by 9/28.
"Bert Goodwin" is a half runner dry bean. In the greenhouse it produced a heavy crop of large shellies on 5-6 foot vines. Outdoors, it produced a fair crop and made it to shelly stage by 10/1 and dry by the 10/12. They did better grown in a block as a bush bean due to shading of the short plants when grown on a trellis in the pole section. Some 2-3 foot twigs for support would help. This is a good candidate for a multi-purpose bean with good snaps and shellies.
"Bianco di Spagna" is a white pole runner bean that was planted on 6/15, later than the other runners because it was advertised as a common bean. It has truly enormous shellies up to 1 ¾ inch long. As of 9/28 there were many plump green pods with huge shellies. Over a 2-3 week period we had several meals of these delicious thin skinned shellies. On 10/19 I picked a couple buckets of pods to shell for freezing. Many pods were yellow and a few dry.
"Bond’s Orcas Lima" is an early white seed pole runner bean that was planted 5/30. The snaps were ready by 8/8 but I did not try them. We started using them as shellies on 9/6 and by 9/18 there were many yellow and drying pods. The shellies are thin skinned and good flavored.
"Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco" is a pole dry bean. Snaps were ready 8/20. There were some shellies ready by 9/28. Shellies were up to 15/16 inch long, plump and oval. I picked the last of them on 10/18 and there were not many. They were shaded by corn and made a lot of foliage, not many beans.
"Borlotto Solista" is a bush dry bean. Snaps were ready 8/20. Some shellies were ready by 9/28 and all were at shelly stage by 10/18. Shellies were up to 1 1/6 long in pods that were up to 11 inches long. No pods were dry.
"Borlotto Stregonta" is a pole dry bean. Snaps were ready 8/20. Many of the 15/16" shellies were ready by 9/28 and by 10/19 there was about a pound of dry seed along with shellies to freeze.
"Brita’s" is sold by Salt Spring Seeds as a pole snap bean. Some were sown in peat pots on 5/23 and planted out 6/14. The vines were loaded with good snaps by 8/4 and green pod shellies by 9/6. Some pods were turning yellow by 9/18. At that stage the 9 inch pods are inedible but they are very easy to shell and the medium size shellies are tender and delicious. On 9/28 they had many yellow and drying pods. Some were planted 6-14 as sprouted beans and were not yellow by 9/28. By 10/13 these were a mix of green shelly stage, yellow and dry. A third bed was sown on 6/20. By 10/18 there were many at green pod shelly stage or yellow but about half were a total loss, beyond snaps and not yet shellies. This is another good multipurpose bean and it produces very high yields.
"Bumblebee" is a bush dry bean. Some were shelly stage by 9/14 and most by 9/28. They had very fat pods with big shellies. We liked them and steamed them in the pods. The pods were tender and edible (except for strings) when they started to turn yellow. Later they got somewhat fibrous.
"Cannellini Bush" – many were at shelly stage by 9/12. The shellies were small and we cooked them in the pods which were a bit chewy. On 9/28 most were at shelly stage or drying as seed.
"Cannellini Gigante" is a white pole runner bean planted 5/30. By 9/28 some pods were plump, a couple turning yellow. As of 10/24 most are at green pod shelly stage and we are still using them as shellies. They may be a bit more chewy than Bianco de Spagna.
"Coco Rubico" is a bush dry bean sowed 6-21. Smallish shellies were ready by 9/28.
"Decker Family" is a bush dry bean. A few of the very large shellies were ready by 9/21. By 9/28 about 1/3 were at shelly stage. The few pods were all dry as of 10/20.
"Delucci Cannellini" is a white pole runner that was sown 5/30. By 9/28 there were some very fat green pods, and a couple turning yellow. By 10/19 most were at green pod shelly stage and I was able to freeze a few pounds of the tender and tasty shellies.
"European Soldier" is a bush dry bean. By 9/28 they were at shelly stage or drying. Large seeds but the crop was small.
"Jeminez" is a pole snap/shelly/dry bean. The first fine snaps were ready 8/20. There were no strings until the pods were very large. By 9/28 the pods looked very overripe and were plumping up but were still good. On 10/18 they were at shelly stage. Some of the pods were getting a bit fibrous. None of the pods dried out.
"Goose"/"Ma Williams" is a pole snap and shelly bean. They were ready as snaps 8/16 and the first shellies 9/6. Loads by 9/17. The ripe pods stay tender and we steam them in the pods. We continued eating these almost daily even after the frosts until the last ones got too dry about 10/20. The vines did not make much foliage so I had thought that the plants were languishing at first. The pods are a beautiful green/yellow/rose combination that makes them a pleasure to see.
"Goose Liver" is a bush dry bean that makes large shellies. The few pods were mostly drying by 9/28.
"Grammy Tilley" is an early white pole runner bean very similar to Bond’s except that the shellies are more chewy.
"Insuk’s Wang Kong" is a pole runner bean with very large seeds that are either pink or dark purple, a few white. By 10/9 the generous yield was mostly at green pod shelly stage with some turning yellow. The large shellies were tasty (and chewy as with most runners).
"NT Half Runner" is a half runner snap bean. They produced quality snaps by 9/6. The pods stay tender even when plump.
"PI 507984" is a bush dry bean. Some were started in peat pots 5/23 and planted out on 6/14. The shellies were ready 8/28 and dry by 9/11. A bed was planted 6/20 - some were turning yellow and ready as shellies on 9/28. By 10/13 that last bed still had a lot of green pods, but also a lot of shellies and some dry seed. The plants were moderate producers in this climate and this summer. They were the best of the bush shellies.
"Rose", a pole shelly bean, was sown in peat pots 5/23 and planted out 6/14. They were producing quality snaps by 9/18. By 9/28 some pods were getting plump but no mature shellies were produced.
"Scarlet Beauty" is a bush dry bean. They were planted 6/21 and by 9/28 the plants looked sick and were not at shelly stage.
"Snowcap" is a pole dry bean. By 9/18 they starting to make shellies, and by 9/28 there were many up to 1 1/8 inch, white with maroon speckles and streaks. Pods at that stage were inedible and the shellies were a bit dry. They do make great soup. The brown pattern became visible after they were cooked. By 10/15 most were yellow pod stage or dry. I froze some and got a lot of dry seed. The seeds slowly develop the typical brown patch as they dry but it does not appear that they will ever look like normal Snowcap seed. They may like warmer temperatures.

Glad to hear that "Ma Williams" did well, it is my earliest & most reliable pole shelly.

I really enjoyed the runner bean results, can't remember anyone growing that many at once. It sounds like "45/90" was not only misrepresented as a common bean, but based upon your observations of flower color, may have some crossing as well. Unfortunately, this seems to be fairly commonplace in runner bean samples from other seed savers. I am still working to purify two contaminated runner bean varieties sent to me, with good results - destroying rogue plants at the first sign of wrong flower color seems (at least so far) to be highly effective. Like "45/90", they both had a white-flowered impurity.

Two of your reviews were particularly useful to me:
- "Bianco di Spagna". As mentioned on another thread, I have long been searching for a thin-skinned runner bean shelly with great flavor. This one sounds promising. Can't remember if you gave a source, but I hope to add it to next year's trials.
- "Snowcap". I have actually had seed for several years, but come planning time, it always got pushed aside for other projects. Your description of the shellies, plus the fact that you were able to obtain seed in a difficult year, have convinced me to add it to next year's plans.

Despite the late start this year, the late frost at least partially made up for it... so as a result, I was able to collect at least some seed from all of my beans.

"PI 507984" did very well, with the first dry seed at 90 days & the first shellies about 10 days earlier. I note that your DTM for dry seed was about 110 days, which highlights the difference between my Wisconsin climate & that of the coastal Northwest... but I am encouraged that it performed as well for you as it did. As my main shelly crop, it was a success. I also was able to save about 3 pounds of seed, so I will once again have it available for trade.

My own "Rose" yielded dry seed, but only because of the late frost. I harvested the shellies only after I had collected some dry seed. This is a great multi-purpose bean, with both snaps & shellies of exceptional flavor. Unfortunately, the late DTM makes it too iffy for my climate, so I will not likely grow it again except for preservation. I highly recommend it for those with seasons longer than my own.

"Austrian Soup" could also be multi-purpose, with fair quality snaps, and good shellies. In size & color they resemble some of the cranberry beans, very fat, slightly more elongated. The vines were somewhere between a pole & a half-runner, and the yield was very good.

I did solve a nagging question this year. One of my preservation crops was "Kentucky Wonder White-seeded" (a.k.a. "Pole 191"). In all outward appearances, from vine, to pod, to seed, it appeared nearly identical to "Brita's Foot Long". I had been wondering if it was, in fact, the same bean. However, the resemblance ended with the flavor - the shellies were of inferior quality. This is not the first time that I have made such an observation, so I suppose I'll have to trial "Ma Williams", "Goose", and "Pumpkin Bean" side-by side.

"Bianco de Spagna" came from the Harvest Moon/Felco Pruners people who no longer sell seeds under that company name. The companies who offer "Bianco de Spagna" a.k.a. "Spagna Bianco" or even probably "Spagna Bean" say that it is a common bean if they mention species at all. I planted it two weeks later than other runners because of that. If planted two weeks earlier, it would be much easier to save seed.

Trialing muliple shellies was educational and fun but I did not realize until it was too late that all their seeds would be suspect.

"Goose" seeds sprouted faster and more vigorously than "Ma Williams" and their pods started turning that beautiful yellow and rose color about two weeks earlier too. On the other hand, the "Ma Williams" were right next to a trellis of very aggressive borlotto beans and so got more shade. I could not tell any difference between them in taste or texture. This would probably be my favorite pole bean, especially since we really like them pod and all.

I was surprised how much difference a week made on the "Brita's" trial. Next year I plan to start a lot more beans in peat pots and am looking for suitable plastic trays so the roots don't bore into the ground again next time.

2009 Bean Results. Last frost May 21. Weak El Niño conditions began late June but there were nights every month of summer that were at or near 40F. Due to El Niño conditions and easterly winds, the last half of July was hot with temperatures up to a record 106F. August brought more normal conditions. First light frosts October 5 and 6 (very early) did not kill the bean plants but the record cold 27F night on October 11 did.

Except for Bianco di Spagna, the plants in peat pots were started on 5/18 and they were planted out on 6/1. Those that were started in pots are all noted below. The sprouting of direct seeded beans was started on 5/30 and they were planted out on 6/2.

Bush Beans.
"Bert Goodwin" 9/9 some yellow pods but no color on shellies. 9/20 a few mature shellies. 9/26 some dry pods, shellies up to 1-1/8" long and a large number of green pods. 10/10 most of the remaining beans are green. We did not get many shellies or dry seed due to the very early hard frost. Not a winner this year.
"Clem and Sarah’s Big Bean" 8/7 the snaps are swelling a bit and are tough and stringy. 9/20 many dry pods and shellies on the heavily branched plants. 10/1 picked them all. The white shellies resemble Brita’s except they are a bit larger (up to 1-1/16") and harder to shell. They produced a very good crop of shellies and dry seed.
"PI507984" Shellies 9/5. 9/20 some dry pods and loads of shellies. 9/26 loads of dry pods and less shellies. A later patch planted 6/6 is still mostly shellies which are up to 1-1/16" long. Plants have up to 40 pods. They are easy to shell fresh or dry. Great bean for the PNW climate. The shellies are very fine quality and keep their color well when cooked.

Pole Beans (All trellises and rows of poles are spaced at 4 feet.)
"Barksdale" 9/04 there are flat yellow 6" snaps. 9/17 large pods are still string free. 10/10 No pods have gone flexible yet but I harvested some large pods hoping for viable seed but it is not looking good. The seeds look immature.
"Bianco di Spagna" - small plants tolerate frost. Plants in peat pots were started on 5/10 and they were planted out on 5/29. The plants in peat pots had blossoms 6/23 and those planted as sprouted seeds on 7/11. 8/7 notes: The peat pot plants were able to set some beans before the very hot weather in mid to late July (up to 106F) but there is not much except for blossoms on the others. 8/15 the peat pot plants have a lot of plump green pods that would contain good shellies. 8/22/09 first mess of yellow pod shellies. 9/20 some dry pods on peat pot plants. First shellies on direct seeded plants. 10/10 between the very hot late July and early frost, the direct seeded plants did not produce much, but we did end up with many quarts canned and frozen.
"Borlotto Solista" 9/9 the plants in peat pots have shellies. 9/20 there are some dry pods on peat pot plants. 10/9 Harvest is complete on peat pot plants. Most direct seeded shellies are mature, some drying. Pods are up to 11" long with up to 8 fat cream and maroon 1-1/8" long shellies. Shellies and dry pods are easy to shell. Picked them all.
"Borlotto Stregonta" were direct seeded only. 9/9 shellies. 9/20 there are some dry pods. 9/22 picked 2 buckets of shellies, some more then 1-1/8" long. 5 pounds shelled. Loads of dry pods. 10/1 picked the last of them, mostly dry pods.
"Brita’s Foot Long" Very aggressive climbers. 9/15 first shellies ready. 9/20 there are some dry pods. Shellies up to 1". They are easy to shell, fresh or dry. 10/6 most pods are shelly stage or dry.
"Canon City" – much more vigorous as seedlings than Portugal. 9/9 shellies on peat pot plants but most seeds have no color yet. 9/20 some shellies on peat pot plants are fully mature with softening pods. 10/10 very few of the direct seeded shellies are mature and have color. Shellies are up to 1-1/4". Shellies are difficult to shell.
"Flagg"/"Chester" – very poor seed. Only one peat-pot seed sprouted and I ended up with only 2 plants total. The two plants look healthy and climb well. 8/22/09 first shellies on the peat pot plant. 9/20 there are some dry pods on the peat pot plant. 10/10 managed to salvage some seed.
"Fortex" 8/1 the snaps are excellent. 8/28 even the very large ones are edible. 9/04 there are still many of all sizes. 9/20 we no longer eat many of these, but there is no sign of pods drying yet. 10/10 no dry pods.
"Goose"/"Ma Williams" As of 8/5 there are snaps. 8/28 a few Goose pods are starting to turn pink. 9/20 there are loads of golden and rose pod shellies but no pods going soft yet. 9/22 there are a few drying Goose pods. 10/1 the shellies are up to 1" long and are very easy to shell. 10/10 the Goose shellies are well ahead of the Ma Williams and their leaves are starting to yellow. There are dry Goose beans but not Ma Williams.
"Kwintus" As of 7/11 the vines are 2-3 feet over the trellis tops. 8/7 the flat 5/8 inch by 9 inch snaps are tender and string free. 8/15 loads of snaps. 8/17 the 10" by 1 inch snaps are tough and inedible. 9/20 there are loads of shellies and some dry pods. 9/22 I picked a bucket of shellies from a 7 foot row and got 2 pounds shelled. Shellies are 7/8" long and slightly flattened. Many dry pods. 10/10 most are dry.
"Portugal" - good germination but feeble seedlings and many died. Re-sowed some of the direct seeded ones on 6/16. 9/9 shellies on peat pot plants and more color on seeds than on the Canon City. 9/20 some of the pods on peat pot plants are drying, still ahead of Canon City. 10/10 very few of the direct seeded shellies are mature and have color. Shellies are difficult to shell.
"Snowcap" – good healthy looking seedlings but some had to be replanted on 6/10. 9/9 yellow pod shellies on peat pot plants but no color on seeds yet. 9/23 there are some dry pods and loads of 1-1/8"shellies on the 2 poles of peat pot plants. Picked a bucket from the two poles for 2-1/2 pounds of shelled shellies. 10/10 the directed seeded plants are producing shellies but some of them that were planted late have pods that are still green.
"Tarbais" seedlings are very vigorous and disease free. The plants appear to want to climb on neighboring trellises instead of their own. They make bushy masses 5 feet diameter before they climb much. If they were grown on neighboring trellises, there would be no room to walk in between. Reminds me of Rose. The peat-pot plants have snaps on them as of 7/30/09. The snaps are tender and string free. 8/6 the larger snaps have strings. 8/15 the 5/8" by 7" snaps are tough and inedible. 9/9 shellies on peat pot plants. 9/20 there are many dry pods and lots of shellies on peat pot plants. The first shellies are appearing on direct seeded plants and they look like flat white limas up to 1-1/16" long. 10/10 The direct seeded plants have mostly green pods. Few shellies or dry pods. Many plants are dying.
"Tennessee Cutshort" 8/7 the first tiny 1" snaps are appearing. 8/12 we tried the string free snaps. 8/22 pods swelling. Fine snaps with strings. 8/28 many are very plump with seeds and we had a mess of them tonight. Very fine beans with tender but firm pods. 9/17 first pods turning yellow. Still very fine eating at that stage. Shellies in pods. They are a late bean here. Production is good but not heavy. Plant two 14 foot rows next year instead of just 1. 10/10 there are some drying pods and I was able to save seed.
"Tobacco Worm" 8/28 there are tiny snaps. 9/04 we had the first mess of flat 6" snaps. Very good. 9/9 the larger snaps have strings. I should have tried some after they plumped up, but did not. It was possible to save seeds.
"Uncle Steve’s" 8/15 first small green and purple snaps. 9/9 the larger snaps have strings.
"Uzice Speckled Wax" 8/15 first small snaps. 8/22 large snaps. 8/28 the large snaps are string free. 9/20 some of the yellow pods have turned white with purple markings. Very nice coloration. Some of the 3/4" shellies are fully colored and might be viable seed. 10/10 There are some drying pods.

Did you get the Borlottos from Seeds From Italy? Did you like the taste?

I should just stop wondering and order them from Seeds From Italy.

I do not have a full report for Tarbais. Those started in peat pots were saved for seed and those direct seeded did not fully mature. I could have cooked a mess of shellies but did not. It is not my favorite as a dry bean. I like beans that taste great as soup with just some onion,a little garlic, salt and not much more. Tarbais needs tomato and more help. Just my opinion. The are not really suitable for here and I do not plan to grow them again.

The Borlotto Stregonta came from Harvest Moon and the Solista from Park. We like both prepared most any way.

Based upon your comments, I will have to trial "Ma Williams", "Goose", and "Pumpkin Bean" side-by-side next year... provided I don't get sidetracked on other projects, as I did this year.

Since most of my beans were the shelly candidates that I was unable to grow last year, I think I'll follow suit with Drloyd, and list them here:

- "Atlas" / bush, originally from Vermont Bean, sent to me by a GW member for preservation. The seed was 10 years old, and I was only able to get one out of 50 to germinate. That single plant, however, produced over 80 very large buff & deep maroon striped seeds, dry in 98 days. Appears to have potential as a shelly... but I couldn't eat any, since I saved them all for seed. Will multiply it further next year.
- "Brita's Foot Long" / pole. Described in greater detail earlier in this thread, this year's crop was to replenish my seed stocks.
- "Bosnian Pole", a strong climber from another GW swap, originally collected in Bosnia. 65 days snap/95 days dry. This was its second year, since I couldn't eat any last year... only had 5 seeds to start with, and squirrels killed all but one!!! Much better luck this year; they turned out to be a delicious, thick & meaty Romano type snap with flat 5-6" pods. Stayed completely stringless for a long time. The shellies were nearly round, about 3/4" wide, and sweet. The dry seed is black & white striped initially, but some of the white darkens to gray as it dries, while some patches remain pure white. This was one of my highest dry seed yields ever, over 8 pounds from 20 feet of row.
- "Chester" (a.k.a. "Flagg") / pole, from an SSE member. I think "Flagg Pole" has kind of a ring to it ;-). The seed was fairly old (been putting this one off for a few years) so I started them in pots to get a better stand, and ended up with 9 plants. Despite the rather wispy appearance of the vines, they yielded fairly well, with 6.5" tan pods w/5-7 black & white striped seeds that look like small limas, and some of my earliest dry seed at 90 days. It was rather hard to identify the pods in shelly stage, the changes to the pod when ripe are not as pronounced as most beans. When cooked, the large shellies keep all of their black coloration, and are as attractive as they are delicious. I won't wait as long to grow this again.
- "Chicklet" / pole, from a GW member, originally from Sicily. Very rampant vines, to 10' or more. Small 4" pods contain 7-8 fat beige seeds, with a cutshort appearance. The dry pods shrink down tightly over the seed, and are difficult to shell... but offer outstanding protection against moisture. The shellies, while fairly small & difficult to shell, have a very pleasant egg-like flavor. Unfortunately, like "Rose" last year, it had a very late DTM for dry seed, at 113 days. Got a little dry seed, and a lot of shellies.
- "Cornfield, Striped" / half-runner pole, from an SSE member. Probably my biggest surprise this year, since the dry seed I received was unremarkable. The vines were very slow to climb, but heavily branched in the first 2 feet. Short 3.5" pods were borne abundantly; OK as snaps, but it would be a waste to use them that way. The incredibly fat shellies are packed tightly in the pods like giant red & white peas, and have a sweet flavor. The dry seed closely resembles "King Horticultural", and only 7 plants produced over 5 pounds of seed - my highest yield per plant this year.
- "Emerite" / pole snap, from Vermont Bean. OK, this was not a shelly... but it was my main crop snap this year, and did exceptionally well. Closer spacing this year (thin to hills of 2 @ 12") overcame the relatively low yield I experienced previously. Excellent quality, very firm even after canning. Was able to get a lot of dry seed.
- "Jimenez" / pole, from a GW swap, originally from Thompson & Morgan. A slightly different spelling, but I verified it from the seed packet. Last year, squirrels & a ground hog left me with only one ripe pod. Started those 5 seeds in pots, got 3 plants, and grew them under cages for seed. As often happens, will have to multiply it further next year before I can evaluate it.
- "Ma Williams" / pole, grown for seed replenishment & as my main crop shelly. Did very well this year, in spite of the heavy rains... 30+ pints of frozen shellies, and over 3 pounds of dry seed.
- "Monterosa" / bush, from the USDA. Buff & maroon seeds very similar in appearance to "Atlas", but much smaller, more like a very large pinto. While I was disappointed in their size, they ripened very early; nearly all dry at 90 days. Grew them on a plot of rather poor fertility (next to my garage) so may try them again under better conditions.
- "Porcelain" (a.k.a. "Snowcap") / pole, same SSE source as "Chester". Another one I've been putting off for several years. 6" round pods w/ 5-6 very large red & white striped seeds. Some of the white fades to tan as the seed dries, leaving a pure white patch opposite the hilum - hence "Snowcap". The shellies are very large, and the yield was high... but to my great disappointment, I found their flavor to be inferior.
- "Tetovac" / pole, from a really great seed swap with a GW member, originally collected in Serbia. This was one of two white beans sent to me with that name, the other (still ungrown) appears to be a runner. Rampant, heavily-branched vines, with flat 6" pods that quickly became fibrous. Each contained 5-6 white, wide, flat seeds that resemble "Seiva" limas, but larger. Unusual appearance as a shelly, very flat - and sometimes curled like a potato chip - but 1" wide. Excellent flavor, and the thin skin doesn't burst easily when cooked. I think this could be a good pole "Cannellini" substitute. 105 days to dry.
- "Zlatac" / pole wax, from SSE, originally from the Czech Republic. Straight, flattened 5" yellow pods that remain completely stringless in all stages. I enjoyed their flavor as snaps, and again as very fat shellies of fine quality & sweet flavor. They have a fine texture, and a thin, tender skin which doesn't crack.

I'll discuss runners & limas (as well as peas & cowpeas) on other threads. Wish I knew how to post thumbnail photos here, I'd like to show some of these beans without giving anyone scroll cramps... this post is long enough as it is. ;-)

Overall, thanks to a timely 2-week dry spell in September, a really great year for beans here... harvested over 50 pounds of dry seed. Makes up for the almost total loss of my tomatoes.

Agree about the weather. If we hadn't got that hailstorm, I would have had a great year too.

Does the Tetovac look like this bean in the link?

-Plant Type: BEAN
-Subtype 1: POLE
-Subtype 2: WAX
-Variety: Uzice Speckled Wax
-Has LQ: Has
-Maturity: 65
-Description: half-runner habit, majority of crop borne near ground, heavily branched at base, pods 6" long x .75" wide, very flat, often curl and twist, heavy yield, ripe seed large, makes good shelly, dry seed black and white, wrinkled, 50 seeds/oz.
-Source Information: from Uzice region of Serbia

fourth from last entry

The "Bosnian Pole" bean has not been listed previously in the Yearbook, unless it was under another name. I have found nothing similar, especially regarding the white patch which appears on the seed as it ages. It is a green snap, as opposed to the "Uzice Speckled Wax" which is... well, a wax. The two have something in common, though; they are good as either snaps or shellies.

I've grown a lot of beans recently from the regions of Hungary & the former Yugoslavia. Considering that beans didn't originate in those areas, but were adopted from the New World, it's remarkable how much diversity developed there in such a relatively short time.

"Bosnian Pole", over 8 pounds from 20 feet of row.



What do you plan to do with 8 pounds of dried seed?

I have some seeds as well from a trade, I plan to grow out the Bosnian Pole this next season, as I have thought of offering the seeds to a large local Bosnian population in a nearby city.



I have never tried eating a bean as a shelly bean, what would be a good first time recipe?

thanks,

Dean

I figure lots of trading, and a bean pot that never gets empty. ;-) Will also be returning a portion of "Bosnian Pole" and "Tetovac" to the original sources, something I plan to do for any heirloom beans that I am able to grow successfully. Hopefully will do the same for "Atlas" next year.

To be honest, I was a little taken aback by the size of the harvest this year. Absent the late Summer rains that usually destroy a good portion of my drying seed, most of this year's pole beans demonstrated their true potential. My bean preservation growouts are generally 10-30 feet of row, and provide 2-3 pounds of dry seed per variety. This translates into several years of trading, and maybe a meal of the dry beans. I'll actually be able to experiment with some variety-specific recipes this year.

Dean, you had asked about shelly bean recipes last year, and really the only answer was butter, salt, and a few spices. That is still my preferred way to eat them, since it doesn't overpower the flavor of the better-tasting beans. I like adding a little Thai basil to the blander beans, or perhaps a little finely chopped celery. I've also tried mixing a little of my favorite barbecue sauce into the cooked beans, with good results... this method might be good for some of the less sweet, stronger-flavored beans, such as "Snowcap" and "Madiera".

The wife & some of her Filipino friends use shellies in soups (we give a lot away just before frost) which gave me an idea this year. I tried preparing them in a sauce, using cans of condensed Cream of Celery soup, diluted only until it made a thick sauce. I tried both mixing this with beans already cooked & seasoned, and cooking them in the soup; the results were good either way.

Cranberry beans are one of the few beans that are popular used as fresh shellies, so if you do a search for "cranberry bean recipe", you will find other possibilities.

Sorry you did not like "Snowcap". They were not my favorite either with just the usual butter, salt and pepper but we like the huge shellies in soup.

I noticed that SSE has accepted your "Giant Red Tarka" name.

Zeedman,
I'm happy they did so well!!

Dean,
That's great that you are going to offer them to the local Bosnian population. It was my understanding that the beans were taken with person/family who grew them when they fled Bosnia because of the war.
Remy

-------------------------------------------------

Zeedman, I was studying your 2009 report again and I am wondering if "Porcelan" may not be the same as "Snowcap".

Snowcap pods, at least here, are 8-9 inches long and are not round. They are more flat. Pods are green and then turn yellow at shelly stage. Dick

Annette

Remy, I thought the beans you originally sent me were more colorful. The brown must appear as the seed ages. Mine are beginning to darken now.

Dean, you have a local Bosnian community - in Iowa??? Contact me off-line, I'd be happy to send you some seed.

Zeedman you use photobucket i think? That makes it easy. When you mouse over the image a list of html code pops up. At the bottom of the pop-up box there is a clickable link called 'link options'. Open it. Go to the 'get link code' tab and make sure the 'clickable thumbnail' box under 'HTML for websites and blogs' is checked. Save. Go back to your album. When you mouse over your image you should see a new option in the pop-up box that says 'HTML thumb'. Proceed as usual using this new link code and you will embed a clickable thumbnail into your post.

looking forward to some pretty bean pictures ; )