I did a Google search on 'Piekny Jas' and found many sites with information on 'Fasoloa Piekny Jas'. Most of the sites were in Polish language. I found that it is a large white runner bean. It seems to be one of the most widely grown beans in Poland as it was often a subject for agricultural experiments. A few sites were in English, including an on-line deli which offers them.

Searching on 'handsome Johnny' may yield more results in English. I didn't do that.

Jim

Hi,
You probably already found the pic on the link below, but I liked the seed packet in case anyone else was interested.
Remy

Here is a link that might be useful: Piekny Jas packet

So that confirms that it is a runner bean, Phaseolus coccineus. Is it unusual for a runner bean to be white seeded? I've only seen black or black with markings.

Jim

There are quite a few white-seeded varieties (such as "Emergo", "White Dutch" & "Jack and the Beanstalk"), along with brown ("Tucomares Chocolate"). I grew a white-seeded last year called "Grammy Tilley".

"Piekny Jas" looks interesting, the seeds appear very plump.

Like the initiator of this thread, I wandered into a Polish delicatessan and wandered out with beans (after a dinner of golubke, keilbasa, pirogies, etc.).

There were two kinds of beans, Jas Tyczny and Jas Karlowy. Like a good beaner, I bought some of each.

Jas Karlowy looks like the Piekny Jas discussed above. It is fat and white, about 5/8" long.

Jas Tyczny looks like a giant, fat lima, the biggest bean I've ever seen. It is twice the length and three times the volume of Jas Karlowy.

Naturally, this got me searching again for info about Polish beans. "Fasola" translates to "bean" as you might expect. "Jas" is "Johnny", who apparently is a stereotypical cute (handsome) guy. "Jas Fasola" is Mr. Bean (the comic actor, Rowland Atkinson).

I now need to know the growth habit (bush or pole) of Jas Tyczny, if I am to grow it. It will be interesting to see if either of these are runner beans, as I expect, and if their blossoms are red and showy, as are those of Insuk's Wang Kong.

I then went searching the Internet for a Polish friend from 40 years ago with whom I had lost touch, and found him. And then a Greek friend from the same period. And then an American. Wandering into a Polish deli can lead one in many directions.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Jas Tyczny

Here is a picture of Piekny Jas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Piekny Jas

I nominate Fasola Jas (Mr. Bean) as mascot of this forum. Do I hear a second?

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Fasola Jas

I second the motion...that was funny as all get out.

Y'all are killing me. So far, I have over 30 different varieties of beans that I want to grow next year and NOW the list continues to grow.

Thank you, Jimster, for resurrecting this thread... I remembered reading about a source for a Polish bean, and had been searching for it. I will definitely be attempting an order from the company in Remy's link.

The white-seeded runner beans that I have grown were also white-flowered, so chances are "Piekny Jas" is also. In the packet photo from Remy's link, it appears to be pole habit.

"Jas Tyczny" is another story. I can't be positive from the photo whether it is a lima or a very large runner bean, although it is most likely a lima. It would probably be worth trying either way. Just be aware that some of the larger limas require a long season to mature; my attempt to grow one of them failed, even though they were started early as transplants. Some things just won't grow Up Nort Der Eh (though I still keep trying). ;-)

BTW, in researching the Jas beans, I came across this interesting report titled "Flowering Biology, Nectar Secretion and Insect Foraging of the Runner Bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.)"

It's in pdf format. I don't know how to give you a clickable link.

www.jas.org.pl/jas_48_2_2004_6.pdf

Jim

More,

The research report cited above mentions the runner bean cultivars used in the study. They are:

Blanka
Eureka
Felicja
Kontra
Westa

I thought it might be good to post them in this site in case someone comes across one of them in the future. It might provide a piece of a puzzle.

Jim

LMBO...Agriculture has never bean a place for this stuff...Hire your mexicans and feel good...Pathetic group of knowledge among most here..,..The girl wanted affirmaion..not knowledge...Grow your comfy plots etc...Blow it out your rump...Guarantee you slickers will keep this forum low-brow....

Humm... not sure what all that is about, but since my seed packet photo link is broken, here's a packet pic on the link below.
Remy

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Piekny Jas' Seed Packet

I share your puzzlement, Remy; trolls hardly ever show up here. Judging by the tone of the rant & spelling (and the time of the post), I'd chalk it up to a case of Saturday night inebriation. Or maybe its the volcanic ash - you feeling OK, Jimster? ;-)

Kind of glad to see this thread resurrected, though... it reminds me to contact the original poster. We had an exceptional seed swap several years ago, including quite a few interesting beans. I'll be growing out the last 2 varieties this year. One of them has the same name as a white-seeded common bean I grew last year ("Tetovac"), but this one appears to be a white-seeded runner bean. I'll know for sure when it germinates.

Thanks for your concern, zeedman. ;-) I'm feeling fine. The weather is exceptionally nice here this week-end and gardening is under way. (Did you ever notice how many of our idioms derive from nautical terms such as under way, make way, lee way, etc.?)

The resurrection of this thread has me thinking about packages of two different beans I bought a couple of years ago at a Polish restaurant in the Poconos and have yet to grow. Hmm...

Oh yeah, trolls. Well, they quickly exhaust their repertoire and go away. It is interesting how respectful the discourse has been on this forum. It's not a place of much interest to trolls I guess.

Jim

"Or maybe its the volcanic ash" LOL!
I still have those huge Spagna Bianco seeds to grow, but I think I'm going to wait until next year. I want to grow the Insuk's seeds that Jim W. sent me. I don't want any crossing.
Remy

I know it is an old thread but maybe someone will need that info. "Tyczna" means pole, "karlowa" -bush variety. Piekny Jas originates from Malopolska region of Poland where is traditionally grown and is PDO protected by EU. It is a Phaseolus coccineus like already stated before and grows up to 4m high. Spacing: 30-50cm between plants. Harvest approx. 120 days from sowing after the pods have matured and dried. Most delicious beans ever.

Edit: Just found out that "karlowa" is not a real Piekny Jas , it is in fact regular navy/haricot Phaseolus vulgaris, tastes and looks nothing like the original Piekny Jas Tyczna (Phaseolus coccineus).

Thank you for the additional info.

I never did obtain seed for Piekny Jas, but have grown another white-seeded runner bean, Gigandes, from Greece. Huge seeds, and delicious.

I grow a couple of white runner beans, one is Corona and the other I got in a trade that I think is called Blanco D'espagne. I can't really tell them apart. In addition to Insuk's Wang Kong, I bought a couple of other runner beans from England, Pole Star has amazing pods that are 9+" long. I particularly like runner beans as shellies and like to add a few dried runners to a pot of regular dried beans for some added succulence. They remind me of the lovely meaty southern lima beans I ate as a child, but don't think I can grow up here in the north.

Limas would certainly be a stretch for much (if not most) of the PNW; it is truly fortunate that runner beans offer a viable alternative. Most of the varieties grown for dry or shelled use appear to be white-seeded. The similarities between several large white-seeded varieties suggest that they may be the same cultivar, with different names being assigned by different geographical regions.

I was given 3 Jasio “Little Johnny” seeds at 2020 Seedy Saturday by a Polish gardener who described them as Polish lima beans. Obviously p coccineus, gorgeous huge white beans which look like Gigandes, maybe a bit longer and narrower.. They have all germinated and are definitely runners. Wish me luck.