2022 Little Easy Bean Network - We Are Beans Without Borders

[HmooseK]

@Spike

This is the thread where I hang out. Your mission is to start at the beginning and let me know once you’ve caught up. Haha.

Once done, we’ve got a few more years of threads. LAUGHING!

Well….you said you liked beans.

 

[meadow]

Yeah, but a friend researched the idea and I guess not just any goat will do. They need to be ones raised that way, otherwise they don't do squat. Also I live in the Salem Oregon City limits, and you can only have three goats for 3 weeks at a time. Then a month with no goats, then 3 weeks, then none for a month again, then 3 weeks, then you have to wait a year. Not worth the bother for me.

Probably just as well. No doubt they would have made a beeline to your beans! Or is that, "beanline?" 🤣 Not to make light of your situation though. I know what a big job it is to clear brambles.

 

[heirloomgal]

Learning about the different varieties this year, I have arrived at a couple conclusions. Network bean Fasold does NOT like high humidity and moisture. It is a gorgeous pencil pod type, very generously sized, on the long side. I didn't try it, but I can just tell it's a great snap bean and very productive too. The vines are loaded, though they never climbed much higher than, probably just under 4 feet up the pole. Not sure why, it's vigorous for sure. Maybe it's a short pole? Anyhow I've had to throw some mouldy pods out, and I'm watching closely to get rid of any that show up so to lessen any potential spread of it. The pods closest to the ground are the only problematic ones. Geesh, got my fingers crossed that the upper beans are okay. But I really, really like Fasold. Good for my length of season too.

Network bean Sycamore Mascara is quite close to being totally dried up, all pods. Nb Pale Gray Lavender, nb MP (the African one) and nb Ugandan Bimba are nearly done too. One or two more warm sunny days and the'll all be done. Network bean Irish Connors has dried about 1/3 of its pods. All my earliest planted beans are puny, but they sure matured early! Bis and Gold of Bacau are well along in seed development. It is remarkable the difference between the transplants and the direct seeded plants. If I didn't struggle with delia platura so much this spring, which knocked my production back, I would be collecting much more totally dried pods than I am.

Cracked open my first dried Karachaganack bean...they were nearly all black! The gag is on me, since that plant is LOADED with pods! Darn I really wanted that other colouration! I don't know if it was crossed at Mandy's or if the bean is just demonstrating its instability? Will post pics soon.

Oh, and @blueJay I am growing Migliorucci again this year and it did MUCH better this time round, beautiful lush bushes. The seed has come out really nice so far, it's drying up right now too. Such a pretty bean! I'm on year 2 growing it and still haven't eaten any! 😂

 

[Zeedman]

I find frozen green beans need perfect blanching to not be rubberized when thawed and cooked. I have not mastered that art! I'm envious of those that can freeze them and have them remain edible!

Blanch as soon as possible after picking - then pull & cool the beans quickly after the blanching time (I use 3 minutes for both steps, for one pound). Have a full kettle of cold water ready in the sink... my well water is ice cold, so it cools quickly if I just keep the water running; but for water not that cold, ice in the cooling water may be necessary. Spaghetti kettles with a large inner basket work well for making a quick transfer. Then drain, pack in bags or freezer boxes, and freeze.

Oh and if possible, stir the cooling beans (or any other blanched vegetable) constantly for the first minute; it really makes a difference in the firmness.

The way the frozen beans are cooked is just as important; having already been blanched, they can easily be over-cooked. My preferred method for small amounts is to thaw the beans under running water (warm, not hot), place them in a bowl just big enough to hold them, make a pot of hot water in the coffee maker, and pour the hot water over the beans. Stir until the heat is absorbed, then drain, and repeat with more water. If I let the beans sit for 5 minutes after the 3rd hot water soak, they will be nearly perfectly done. For larger amounts, I use the same basket/kettle combination used for blanching, dip them into boiling water, sample often - and rinse briefly with cold water when done, to halt the cooking process.

 

[BeanWonderin]

We are just starting to harvest a few beans for fresh eating and sampling. We had some strong winds which resulted in several broken stems, so any beans on those plants were fair game. The Viola are excellent fresh. The Marfax are not as good, but we still ate them.

I need some advice from those of you with more pole bean experience. Several pole beans have reached the top of their poles. Louisiana was going for the moon. Should I let it grow and flop around or trim the vine at the top of the pole? Or is it worth rigging up some extra support?

 

[Decoy1]

I would just add one variety to Triffid’s excellently full list of purple podded scarlet runner beans. I’m growing one called Mrs Cannell’s Black. On the whole I don’t really enjoy the culinary qualities of purple podded runner beans. They seem to be tougher than I like before they develop their colouration.

 

[Blue-Jay]

I need some advice from those of you with more pole bean experience. Several pole beans have reached the top of their poles. Louisiana was going for the moon. Should I let it grow and flop around or trim the vine at the top of the pole? Or is it worth rigging up some extra support?

1.) You could rig up some extra support if you want to. 2.) I often just let pole beans growth at the top flop over and grow back toward the ground again. 3.) If you want to you also can trim off the extra growth at the top of the pole. You can do any of these three suggestions. Try different methods and see what you like best and or works best over time.

 

[flowerbug]

I always thought saddleback refered to the shape of the seed. Bent more at the eye so the bean sort of formed a saddle when viewed from the side.

i do have a few beans like that. i call them hotdog beans (appaloosa and painted pony).

i also have some that are bent like that when looking down on them from the top but i don't have any formal or made up name for them, they're just bent or angled.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Should I let it grow and flop around or trim the vine at the top of the pole? Or is it worth rigging up some extra support?

I'm not sure it really matters. I let mine grow back toward the ground. Some of them can make a real mess up there twisting around, some not so much. That may be variety specific. I don't think you'll be hurting productivity if you trim them back and might make them easier to pick.

 

[flowerbug]

@heirloomgal said "
Cracked open my first dried Karachaganack bean...they were nearly all black! The gag is on me, since that plant is LOADED with pods! Darn I really wanted that other colouration! I don't know if it was crossed at Mandy's or if the bean is just demonstrating its instability? Will post pics soon."

normal variation IMO. i get beans all over the spectrum of colorings and patterns and some will give exact patterns and colors back and others will vary with soil quality and conditions.