The Little Easy Bean Network - Get New Beans Varieties Nearly Free

[897tgigvib]

Yea they sure are pretty. Last year one of my best bean meals was made by the then girlfriend of a friend. She had a Greek family recipe for Ham hock soup. She did not know what kind of Beans it was supposed to use though!

So I made an assortment of mixed beans for her to cook up. It had Mitla Black and Blue Speckled Teparies for about half the mix, another quarter or so of it was Eye of the Tiger, and the rest was a mix of Hidatsa Red, Indian Woman Yellow, Habachuelas Rosadas (which until Russ told me I was just calling Rose Bolitas), and a few Rio Zape.

I don't know her recipe, but it was basically Ham Hock bean soup along with her Greek recipe for beets as a side dish.

It was best on the second day probably because the small teparies need longer soaking to be less meaty, but man, it sure was good!

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Yea, it can seem like eating jewelry. There are jewelry makers who do use beans! Can't recall the website I saw, but google it up!

Actually, once cooked up they lose some of that prettiness.

 

[897tgigvib]

I googled bean jewelry

http://www.thekitchn.com/love-beans-pretty-necklaces-made-out-of-heirloom-beans-164961

there are other sites too

 

[baymule]

Out of 12 Kilham Goose seeds, I have 12 healthy plants about 6" high. Out of 13 Smith River Super Speckled seed, I have 8 healthy plants, also about 6" high. I am having fun with this project!

Ok Marshall, so you ate a pot of beans a year ago? What do you do with the rest of them? Make jewlery?

 

[bj taylor]

I love the name 'smith river'. I grew up near a smith river in Oregon. often went camping up that way as a kid. some of the names of these beans are just amazing

 

[the1honeycomb]

I haven't received my beans yet, any day now!!! I am excited but the wax beans and the plane green beans are up and looking great! the rain here has really gotten my plants on the go!!

:tools

 

[Blue-Jay]

Some of the seed I grow will go for filling bean requests in Seed Savers Exchange. If I'm growing a new crop of seed and I run out of room for that seed crop on my bean shelves in my basement then I start eating the oldest beans to make room for the next batch of beans. Lately I've been thinking about building another shelving unit or two for my beans so it will be awhile before I run out of storage space. If I get enough seed of a pretty variety sometime I might fill a decantor jar and display the pretty beans in my living room or somewhere in the house. I think one of those empty candle jars would look pretty filled with Smith River Super Speckle. I eat about 50 or more pounds of beans a year. Beans are a big part of my diet. Nutritious and inexpensive. This summer behind my house I'm going to use some of my heirloom seed and grow some pole snap beans for eating and freezing. Perhaps some Louisiana, Oregon Giant, and maybe some Weaver.

I've never made any bean jewlery. There is a website in Germany where someone makes bean jewlery. Check this out. http://www.bohnenschmuck.de/index.htm When the home page loads click on products. They got necklaces, bracelets and earings with different kinds of beans.

 

[baymule]

That German jewelry site is pretty cool. I just never knew that there were so many types and colors of beans. It is fun to grow beans that are definately not on the local grocery shelf. Russ, you and Marshall are going to turn a bunch of us TEG'ers into bean collectors.

 

[the1honeycomb]

My Beans are here!!!!:rose I will be putting them in containers and they are beautiful! one question thou should I soak them first? IF so need all the instructions!! :watering Thanks Russ

 

[897tgigvib]

Curious what varieties you got Honeycomb.

 

[the1honeycomb]

I got the coco black bean only room for one. do you suggest soaking the beans before planting??