Madman has been diligently shelling dried beans in the evenings, as we watch a dvd or two. (I'm usually spinning or knitting.) He finished up the Jean's Beans first, since they were new to us and we were anxious to see how they turned out.
Not a bad output for the roughly 12-foot row we planted. (I love growing dried beans. You plant them, weed them a time or two early in the season, then just ignore them until the plants are well and truly dead. None of that pesky every-day-checking-for-ripeness. Gotta love it.)
My best guess is that they're a variety of Jacob's Cattle beans. (Anyone out there have a good theory? Leigh?) There's quite a bit of variation in color, but I don't know if that's just a part of not being completely dry yet. (It's been a very wet year - sort of counter-productive to growing dried beans...) They're a beautiful bean, anyway. We'll be testing them this winter for flavor. Can't beat bean soup on a cold winter day.
Not a bad output for the roughly 12-foot row we planted. (I love growing dried beans. You plant them, weed them a time or two early in the season, then just ignore them until the plants are well and truly dead. None of that pesky every-day-checking-for-ripeness. Gotta love it.)
My best guess is that they're a variety of Jacob's Cattle beans. (Anyone out there have a good theory? Leigh?) There's quite a bit of variation in color, but I don't know if that's just a part of not being completely dry yet. (It's been a very wet year - sort of counter-productive to growing dried beans...) They're a beautiful bean, anyway. We'll be testing them this winter for flavor. Can't beat bean soup on a cold winter day.
They look like magical beans!
ReplyDeleteSo what's the secret to good flavor in bean soup? I love navy bean soup but have never found a recipe with any ooomph.
ReplyDeleteYou know, if you keep this up, my garden will take over the neighbor's yard next year.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I've taken the "first" raised bed for garlic. (Who doesn't love garlic?) It will take late season crops after garlic harvest.
The second bed will be regular vegi's. Tomatoes have a new spot next season (well and far away from the mutant cucumber vines).
Beans, where can I put a row of dried beans? (Someone else is lobbying for a row of corn. I shall tell him, by all means: a row of corn for a row of beans ...)
Oh my - we just finished up a big project, and I’ve been away from the blogosphere for weeks... Jeans Beans look like a pole bean from Maine called Bobolink that Johnny’s Selected Seeds sold in the 80s. Are they bush or pole? I grew Bobolink quite a few years, but it wasn’t as early as I like. Anyway, the Jacob’s Cattle/Trout bean tribe are more kidney shaped/oblong - yours are fairly round. Are they pea bean size or larger? How long are the pods? Looks like the maturity was decent at your place - did the plants fully dry in the garden, or did you pull them a little green? I wonder how long the person you got them from had been growing them, and where (around here?). Very interesting!
ReplyDeleteThey are very pretty! Bean soup is one of my favorites, no matter the season. I've grown black turtle beans and I agree the growing is easy but the shelling made the growing a one-time event. :D
ReplyDeleteDried beans are so pretty. Each new produce you show us makes me so very jealous of your garden space. Growing in pots means I have to pick only a couple of veggies to grow. I dream longingly of my future place in the country with its huge garden.
ReplyDeletePretty beans! Wonder if the color will bleed when they cook.
ReplyDelete