2023 Little Easy Bean Network - Beans Beyond The Colors Of A Rainbow

[Zeedman]

is that frozen seed?

That was my thought too; slower oxidation due to cold storage.

 

[Zeedman]

2023 beans cont. In a year with a lot of disappointing results for P. vulgaris beans, I thought I'd end with the two best.


"Tetovac", pole dry. From a seed swap 2006, originally from Serbia. This bean appears to be very closely related to "Tarbais", which I also grow... same DTM, habit, pods, seed appearance, etc., with the exception of slightly flatter seed. Both varieties flirt with the frost before suddenly ripening en masse. Seed quality is normally exceptional, but there were culls this year - about 10%. This was one of the first beans weeded in the rural garden & it responded well; just 3 ounces less than 3 pounds.

"Uzice Speckled Wax", pole wax/shelly. Also from Serbia, obtained in the same 2006 swap as "Tisa". This was the only bean this year which exceeded expectations; growth was so dense that it was hard to find the long yellow pods in the foliage! One pair of plants was pulled due to possible disease; the remaining 7 pairs were late to climb, but then really took off in August, and covered their trellis. I love this bean for being dual usage (snap and shelly) and very good at both. Harvested a couple meals of snaps, two pickings of delicious shellies (photos posted previously) and 2 pounds 2 ounces of dry seed.

Sadly, there were 2 bean failures this year.

"Woods Mountain Crazy Bean" (bush snap) was doing well, and had a heavy pod set; then suddenly all plants wilted & died over night. Not sure what caused that, but suspect that chlorine pool shock (from the nearby pool) might have been the culprit. But then, nothing did well in that plot except the soybeans - which were all eaten completely before harvest by chipmunks & turkeys. "Woods Mountain Crazy Bean" is a really good heirloom bush snap; and though it is borderline here for dry seed, it has proven to excel in hot weather, and I'll grow it again.

"True Red Cranberry" (pole dry) started off vigorous, then began showing signs of disease, and did not recover. Out of caution, I chose to harvest no seed. This variety is widely grown in the seed saving community, so I will most likely not grow it again.

 

[Blue-Jay]

is that frozen seed?

The Andante - 2023 is not frozen seed. Photo #2 is how it appeared when I first harvested it 2 years ago. If the seed were frozen it would still appear as it does in Photo #2. Freezing stops the darkening.

 

[Blue-Jay]

@Artorius,

Your bean package arrived today. Thank you so much. They traveled from a very far away place from here. The beans were just gorgeous. Colors were fantastic. You packed then so neat. It was just like that box you used was custom made for those bean packets.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Here is something I thought would be fun to share with you. Recently I got a bean from one of our Network growers on Vancouver Island BC. This grower found this rounded very blue bean in Blue And White Of Bernardo. This bean is very dry at this point and it hasn't turned a black blue like Midnight Blue or Sacre Bleu. This bean is really a nice shade of blue. The grower of this bean has named it Blue Pacific. I'm very much looking forward to growing it next summer. I'm hoping it won't start producing a lot of tan beans like some blue beans do. I've taken about 5 photos of this bean and I'll post 4 of the best ones. Am I excited about this bean, Yes ! I've been waiting for something like this bean to come along one day. All the same seed with different amounts of light.

 

[heirloomgal]

Here is something I thought would be fun to share with you. Recently I got a bean from one of our Network growers on Vancouver Island BC. This grower found this rounded very blue bean in Blue And White Of Bernardo. This bean is very dry at this point and it hasn't turned a black blue like Midnight Blue or Sacre Bleu. This bean is really a nice shade of blue. The grower of this bean has named it Blue Pacific. I'm very much looking forward to growing it next summer. I'm hoping it won't start producing a lot of tan beans like some blue beans do. I've taken about 5 photos of this bean and I'll post 4 of the best ones. Am I excited about this bean, Yes ! I've been waiting for something like this bean to come along one day. All the same seed with different amounts of light.

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WOW! Those are incredible! Blue Pacific is a wonderful name too. I hope they grow true again!

 

[Decoy1]

Very interesting @Decoy1 , thank you for the information. I received the seed from a company here in Canada under that name. I've never really heard of this status issue, as we don't have such designations here. I think if it were to be re-named to avoid a patent issue it would likely be assumed to be a different bean. When I search the name 'Coco Nain Blanc' it looks like a slightly different bean, more pure white perhaps? A commonly sold bean here is 'Coco Bianco' which looks very much like Coco Nain Blanc, but hard to say from the company pictures online. I have seeds for Coco Bianco and they are like large, pure white navy beans. These Coco de Paimpol beans look a little like Mrs. Kahl or Pois Feves Laliberte. Sort of a pale buttery color.

eta: I looked on Bohnen Atlas and now I wonder if these new beans really are Paimpol beans - they don't look nearly as white as those in the photo there.

I don’t think the local designations are a patent as such and probably not legally binding. They are more an attempt by the EU to keep a local variety pure.
The Cookipedia entry is quite informative
https://cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Coco_de_Paimpol_(Paimpol_haricot_bean)
Coco de Paimpol even appears on the UK government site with its protected status

Coco de Paimpol

Protected food name with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)

www.gov.uk

My Coco Nain Blanc are a little like large navy beans and are certainly quite white, whiter and fatter perhaps than the photo does justice too.
Perhaps if you successfully grow your Coco de Paimpol, the resulting seeds might turn out to be whiter than the ones you received.

 

[Artorius]

@Artorius,

Your bean package arrived today. Thank you so much. They traveled from a very far away place from here. The beans were just gorgeous. Colors were fantastic. You packed then so neat. It was just like that box you used was custom made for those bean packets.

@Bluejay77
I'm glad that the parcel arrived safely and I'm grateful to you for the opportunity to grow many interesting beans in recent years.

As for the box, I used the one in which I received the beans from Germany. The size was just right. I often do this. I gently cut the box, turn it inside out, glue it again and it's ready. This is my small contribution to recycling

 

[Blue-Jay]

As for the box, I used the one in which I received the beans from Germany. The size was just right. I often do this. I gently cut the box, turn it inside out, glue it again and it's ready. This is my small contribution to recycling

I get enough boxes each autumn I could turn them all inside out. What kind of glue do you use that will hold the cardboard inner tap from coming apart.

 

[Artorius]

@Bluejay77,
Most often I use regular paper glue. If I don't additionally cover the box with adhesive tape, I use a two-component glue, e.g. Poxipol. I don't know if you can buy it in the US, but I'm sure there is something similar.