2022 Little Easy Bean Network - We Are Beans Without Borders

[Blue-Jay]

The Frost beans has been a trying odyssey. I had ordered them from a SSE member in Montana in 2018 who said they are a pre 1796 variety and his first seed arrived beautifully in a bubble pack envelope that year. I sent them out to a number of growers and most of them I never heard back from them. One grower said the beans didn't germinate. In 2020 I sent out the last sample I had of them to a fellow in California and in the fall I finally got back a packet of beautiful seeds that were larger than the original I had sent him. I don't remember when I sent them to Saratabee. Those beautiful large seeds would be sent out again in 2021. Some of the 2021 requests came in late 2020 and through the winter of 2021. Lots of requests for them and I needed more of them so I ordered them again from the fellow in Montana who was the only member in SSE listing the bean. When his seeds arrived he had sent them in a letter envelope and most of the seeds had squirted out one of the seams of the envelope when the postal service ran the envelope through canceling and sorting machines. The remainder of his seeds in the envelope were crushed. The only Network grower to have returned seed of Frost in 2021 had grown them right next to Aunt Jeans that he also requested to grow. At the time I thought nothing of sending out two similar look a like beans to a grower. The two beans have the same colors and pattern. He reported that the vines of each had grown together just a little bit but he was certain he could separate the one's that were Aunt Jeans and which one's were Frost. I had told him not to send the seed back that I really couldn't trust that the seed could be accurately distinguished from each other. He sent a full packet of each anyway. Must have been over 120 plus beans in each packet and when looking at each of his packets. I couldn't tell the difference between them. Unfortunately they became soup material. So I think Saratabee and Artorious together will be the final saviors of this beans strange journey. I think I will hang on to all the seed I receive from Artorious and grow a crop of them myself next year before any Network growers get a hold of them again. The sign under the photo on the website will remain "All Seed Is Out To Grower" until I have a really good and bountiful crop of Frost.

 

[Triffid]

@heirloomgal Thanks for this information

 

[Boilergardener]

The Frost beans has been a trying odyssey. I had ordered them from a SSE member in Montana in 2018 who said they are a pre 1796 variety and his first seed arrived beautifully in a bubble pack envelope that year. I sent them out to a number of growers and most of them I never heard back from them. One grower said the beans didn't germinate. In 2020 I sent out the last sample I had of them to a fellow in California and in the fall I finally got back a packet of beautiful seeds that were larger than the original I had sent him. I don't remember when I sent them to Saratabee. Those beautiful large seeds would be sent out again in 2021. Some of the 2021 requests came in late 2020 and through the winter of 2021. Lots of requests for them and I needed more of them so I ordered them again from the fellow in Montana who was the only member in SSE listing the bean. When his seeds arrived he had sent them in a letter envelope and most of the seeds had squirted out one of the seams of the envelope when the postal service ran the envelope through canceling and sorting machines. The remainder of his seeds in the envelope were crushed. The only Network grower to have returned seed of Frost in 2021 had grown them right next to Aunt Jeans that he also requested to grow. At the time I thought nothing of sending out two similar look a like beans to a grower. The two beans have the same colors and pattern. He reported that the vines of each had grown together just a little bit but he was certain he could separate the one's that were Aunt Jeans and which one's were Frost. I had told him not to send the seed back that I really couldn't trust that the seed could be accurately distinguished from each other. He sent a full packet of each anyway. Must have been over 120 plus beans in each packet and when looking at each of his packets. I couldn't tell the difference between them. Unfortunately they became soup material. So I think Saratabee and Artorious together will be the final saviors of this beans strange journey. I think I will hang on to all the seed I receive from Artorious and grow a crop of them myself next year before any Network growers get a hold of them again. The sign under the photo on the website will remain "All Seed Is Out To Grower" until I have a really good and bountiful crop of Frost.

What a story, What terrible luck. I should contact the SSE member and request some of the frost. I couldnt believe i didnt get them to come up when the other 15+ varieties emerged. I should have started them in pots, but i have never had to do that before, they have always germinated fine in the garden. Thanks for the story on the Frost bean

 

[flowerbug]

I grew a bush bean that looked like a pinto a few years ago, but tasted more strongly, along the lines of a cranberry bean. It was great for chili! I wonder if your original was something like that?

they weren't anything different than any other pinto bean i'd had to that point. since then the only different flavor (as in milder flavor) i've noticed has come from the Purple Dove which doesn't look like any kind of pinto bean at all.

while many beans do have a somewhat distinctive flavor or texture to me i'm sure that if you blindfolded me i'd not be able to tell some apart from others that are similar.

i do try to cook up each variety that i grow enough of in bulk so i can taste them as they are and i don't even salt them for that trial - cooked plain in water. i've yet to be disappointed in any dry bean i've tried, but i do know there are perhaps a few that may come along yet that i won't like. the challenge for almost all varieties i grow is just getting enough to have a larger grow out. mainly because i'm growing so many different varieties and experiments each year that i don't often put in an entire row of a single newer variety until i know it does well in our soils and conditions. this year i have a few beans i hope to have bulked up enough for a taste test, but we'll see. if they work out really well i'd rather keep enough beans so i can give out samples. that cuts into cooking availability.

Purple Dove i have plenty set aside now that we'll be able to eat 10lbs of them in the next year. i wish i could get 10lbs of Yellow Eye set aside but those don't seem to be as reliable. i'll still plant some rows of them hoping to get a good increase. and then there are the others...

 

[meadow]

@meadow You're tempting me with the idea of trialing a whole bunch of pinto beans next year (love them in the kitchen!).........

Lol! Looks like I'll need to do another trial myself! So much great input here. If you decide to trial pintos, do please share your list of prospects! You're so good at finding unique and interesting varieties.

 

[meadow]

@Bluejay77 You sent Frost to @saritabee in 2019.

So... what is the story/history on Frost bean?

Is it supposed to be the same bean as the UK Pea Bean? Or is it just that they look similar?

 

[BeanieQueen]

@Boilergardener
I first soak the seeds in a fungicide and then put them in a box with moist paper towels. I plant them in the ground when the sprouts appear.

So did I too (except the fungicide) this year and I found indeed that this a successful technique with older or poor quality seed.

What kind of fungicide do you use?

 

[heirloomgal]

Lol! Looks like I'll need to do another trial myself! So much great input here. If you decide to trial pintos, do please share your list of prospects! You're so good at finding unique and interesting varieties.

So far I've tried 3 tried 3 different varieties - Othello Pinto (semi-runner), North Star Bush Pinto (a true bush! from @Bluejay) and I have a variety from Mackenzie seeds that was labelled 'Pinto' and seems to be a pole. I've liked them all.

It does seem to me that that, while there are truly productive pole types (Graines de Cafe, Meerbarbe come to mind), semi-runners still seem to be the most highly productive varieties. I couldn't believe how many beans I collected last year from Nicaraguan Black Turtle, Mayan Red, Mitla Black, White Horticultural - all semi-'s. Then again, I tend to put in 6 plants of those, and about 3-4 of any pole type so it might work out in the end to be similar. It just seems like semi-'s are huge producers for some reason. Possibly tied to some element of wildness in there? Beans probably began as a semi-vining plants and bush & pole types were selections. I hope to try someday 'Brauner Bar'. I have two full raised beds of semi's this year. I hope I experience an avalanche of production!

 

[heirloomgal]

This is a new seed place I found this year, she does have a few rather interesting beans for anyone interested -

Accueil - Le potager ornemental de Catherine

Bienvenue au Potager ornemental de Catherine, semencière artisanale depuis 2007. Nos jardins sont situés à St-Apollinaire, Québec.

www.potagerornemental.com

 

[jbosmith]

Yellow Eye set aside but those don't seem to be as reliable. i'll still plant some rows of them hoping to get a good increase. and then there are the others...

Yellow Eye as in the ones that come in big grocery store bags from Maine? I have a friend who will make sure to buy those in Maine each year and swears that they taste better than the ones that arrive here by the truckload.