2021 Little Easy Bean Network - Bean Lovers Come Discover Something New !

[Artorius]

My Blue Shackamaxon in 2019.

 

[Blue-Jay]

I have grown the Monachelle Di Trevio but have not eaten the bean.

 

[heirloomgal]

Has anyone ever heard of a bean called 'African Lazy Housewife'? I found it in my stash of beans this year, and the packet has only the name on it and nothing else, not even growth habit. It's a small, orangey red bean. I planted a few last night and hope they'll sprout, but any info anyone might have would be great. 🤞

 

[flowerbug]

Has anyone ever heard of a bean called 'African Lazy Housewife'? I found it in my stash of beans this year, and the packet has only the name on it and nothing else, not even growth habit. It's a small, orangey red bean. I planted a few last night and hope they'll sprout, but any info anyone might have would be great. 🤞

i've heard of Lazy Housewife beans before but not with the word "African" in front of them so... :/ likely a pole bean and perhaps also a greasy bean. nothing wrong with finding out if you have the fence space for it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

In 2014 I grew Lazy Housewife Red for Russ. As I remember it was an African bean. Here are my notes on it and a poor photo. It was not good for a snap bean.


Lazy Housewife Red #41 – Pods tough as a green bean. When breaking them I thought they would do better since the inside was that clear green I like to see in a green bean. Still very good as a dried bean.

Very vigorous growth. It did not take long for the vines to reach the top of my 12’ high trellis. Definitely a pole bean. Pink blossoms and cream colored blossoms on the same plant. Pods 6” to 8” long, lets call them flat but knobby where the beans were. Some pods were green but most had some red splotches. Dried pods pretty smooth and easy to hull.

 

[flowerbug]

planted my first bean today. going to see how Fort Portal Jade does when planted earlier. let the beans begin!

weather forecast is pretty warm now for at least the next week and some rains so it should be a good time to get them sprouted and growing.

 

[heirloomgal]

Thanks @Ridgerunner, I think that just might be the bean I have. I don't have any colour differences in the 10 seeds that I have, they all look like that one darker orange one in your photo. I wonder if these might be bean seeds put into circulation by the fellow in South Africa who had sent a lot of seed material into NA, I can't recall his name but several gardeners got packets from him in the hopes of preserving some disappearing varieties from his country. I wonder if the bean is worth growing after all, the seeds seem to me too small to be of much kitchen use and if they aren't a good green bean, I'm not sure if I'll plant them in the ground end.

@flowerbug, that Fort Portal Jade is a pretty bean isn't it? I am growing a couple plants this year just to keep the seed renewed. I hope some of the purple types show up, and it doesn't come up as green only as the other colours in that bean are so pretty too. I could try to fit in a few Ugandan Bantu beans to make sure, but I'm running out of space fast. So much bean compassion this year for the old ones sittin' around in jars! That FPJ is a semi-runner right?

As far as dry bean preferences go, I don't think I've ever met a dry bean I didn't like in a good soup/burger/casserole/salad. But I do find navy beans have a distinctive taste; in a soup I have to add tomatoes to counter balance that particular flavour. The navies need a strong taste added to them when cooked with, either brown sugar, maple syrup, tomatoes or something similar otherwise I find there is a funny taste in them that other beans don't seem to have.

On the other side of that topic, something I've always wondered is what dry beans people think are especially good. Probably a lot of cooked dry beans taste similar to folks, but I do find kidney beans, black turtle beans, and those brown eyed beans (I can't remember that bean's name, yellow eye or something) all have their own identifiable taste. Even a freshly dried romano bean or pinto bean has it's own somewhat unique and delicious taste. But I haven't tried tons of bean varieties dry because I tend to keep most of them as seeds. If someone thinks that there are some really tasty dry bean varieties out there I'd be curious to hear. I know Rancho Gordo speaks highly of Vaquero and Rio Zape as dried beans with great flavour.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Not a member bean, But I just put my wild soybean seedlings in the cold frame, to be transferred to their permanent place when they get permanent leaves.

The got them, they are put in. By a railing, since unlike domestic (well most domestic) soybeans, wild soy is a climber. Short of good railings, so it will have to share space with the cucumbers (one on one side, one on the other).

 

[Ridgerunner]

I wonder if these might be bean seeds put into circulation by the fellow in South Africa who had sent a lot of seed material into NA, I can't recall his name but several gardeners got packets from him in the hopes of preserving some disappearing varieties from his country.

That sounds really familiar familiar. As I remember @Bluejay77 got a bunch of beans from Africa and did not know how old they were so he asked people to grow them out. I tried five varieties, four did fine but the one tagged Cape Sugar #3 failed to sprout.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Does anyone remember who would up with "Landmaster" in that grow out. i.e. the single fat red cowpea we thought was a groundnut that took over the side of the persons house? I remember @seakangaroo got "Ugandan Discussion" (that really pretty mottled green and purple bean that sported from Fort Portal Jade" but I forgot who had the cowpea.