Beans

[feldon30]

Thought I'd start a new topic since I love beans and have some decent pictures.

Bush beans have given me their first big flush of beans (about 6 quarts) and are now setting more flowers.


Dragon Tongue




May 12th, 2007


May 15th, 2007

and I've had another harvest of bush beans since then which was about the same size, but they are definitely slowing down.

Green: Triumphe de Farcy (haricots verts)
Yellow: Brittle Wax
Purple/Yellow: Dragon Tongue


Barksdale May 18th, 2007


Barksdale May 24th, 2007

[shelleybean]

Feldon, what was your opinion of the Brittle Wax? Thanks.

[feldon30]

Very nice. Hardly needs any butter or salt.

If you've only ever tasted green beans, give any of these varieties a shot because they might change your mind about beans.

They just aren't as prolific as Triumphe de Farcy but they are doing a lot better for me now than they did last fall. I think the heat really got to them based on how the plants looked. There are so many other yellow varieties to try including Golden Nugget.

[FlipTX]

Those look great! My beans are basically done. I froze about ten pounds of blanched beans and ate about the same amount fresh. I've already started pulling up mite-infested plants to make way for summer crops. I've left a few cornfield beans, Fortex, and Supernano Marconi in place to dry for seed.

I love Brittle Wax, too. I grew a few of those for the second time. I can highly recommend the Supernano Marconi for a flat-podded yellow. For green, I really liked the cornfield beans. They were very nutty and tender as could be, with longish, meaty pods.

[shelleybean]

I've grown Pencil Pod Black Wax and am growing Kentucky Wonder Wax this year. We'll see how they turn out. Thanks.

[nctomatoman]

In the midst of daily harvest of bush beans - probably 1-2 pounds per day. This gives us a chance to pick them very young, slender and tender. I've returned to a wonderful yellow variety, Roc d'Or, kind of a yellow colored French Filet bean - and one that is new to me, Cupidon, a green Filet from JSS. I also have a few rows of the very first variety of anything from an SSE trade - Fowler, a really wonderful typical green bush bean. I highly recommend all three of these varieties.

[montanamato]

Craig...I grew Roc d'Or several years ago and really liked them....Neckargold ( spelling?) is supposed to be another great yellow...
I don't think I have a yellow planted this year...I do have Hopi Purple, Ram's horn and a few other new to me beans...They usually get eaten before emerging, so this year I am trying transplants, and not sure how it will work yet...I hope I don't have to get my bean fix through your guys photos...

Jeanne

[shelleybean]

Craig, I grew Fowler last year. It was a great bush variety. Got mine from SESE but I see they're not offering it in 2007. I went all pole this year anyway. Enjoy!

[nctomatoman]

Yup - I was the source to SESE for Cherokee Purple (they were the first to carry it!), Fowler bean, and Orange Bell pepper. I sent Victory (Mike D) some Fowler, and I think that he is increasing it enough to carry.

[feldon30]

After several successful months, I think my beans have had it. The plants are diseased, chewed up by bugs, and the beans being produced are now tough.

I suppose I could have done a staggered planting, but I am not really been on top of things like I should.

The only things in the ground that I am hoping to get harvests from before the fall are cucumbers, pole beans, and melons (Yes, I squeezed in a few).

[tjg911]

Roc d'Or is an excellent string (bush) bean. I prefer yellow (wax) string beans to green string beans. Even tho I like Roc d'Or I don't grow bush beans anymore. Pole beans have so many advantages over bush beans there's just no way I'd grow bush beans.
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I grow the flat pod Italian type pole beans, good flavor and texture tho 2 years ago I tried Kentucky Wonder and it is very good. Flat pod have a different, meatier, starchy (?) taste than the pencil pod so I like the flat pod varieties better than KW but I do like KW. For 10 years I have grown a variety I got from a coworker that he got from an old Italian lady, it is green. I got 2 other varieties from another coworker that his relatives grow in Poland, 1 is green and the other is yellow. Those 2 are so similar to the other 1 that I don't think I could tell the difference in taste or size other than 1 of the 3 is yellow.
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I like to steam them and combine all different mixtures of rice, pasta, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, butter (but I prefer olive oil). Rice and beans with olive oil and garlic is all I need to make a simple meal. I can eat that 5 days in a row I love it so much. Chopped parsley or basil is good with that but usually I just put oil and garlic on beans and rice.

Tom

[nctomatoman]

If I had the room and a good location, I'd grow some pole beans, but I like the bush beans just fine (we are getting heavy yields, and I am picking them every day - just froze about 5 pounds).

Favorite three things to do with them (ah, the joy of tender, slender fresh beans!)

1. Drop them into boiling water, boil them for 4 min, drain and serve with a little butter, salt and pepper, perhaps some fresh chives (GREAT finger food!).

2. Take those 4 min boiled beans, rinse under cold water till chilled. Melt a tbsp butter in a large pan, add tsp oil, drop in the beans and stir till well headed - add 1/2 cup or so of Italian bread crumbs, stir over med heat till they are browned a bit.

3. Take the 4 min boiled beans, rinse under cold water till chilled. Heat 3 tbsp veg oil in a pan, add 2 cloves minced garlic and 2 tbsp of black mustard seed - cover. Heat over medium till the seeds start popping - add 1 or 2 crushed dried chiles - then add the beans, 1 tsp salt, pinch of sugar, and black pepper - stir until well coated, then lower neat to medium low and stir occasionally, uncovered, to meld the flavors (this is an Indian recipe).

[duajones]

I love green beans any way they are cooked. Lately I have just been tossing them with a little olive oil,salt and pepper, put them in a 400 degree oven 15 mins or so. Very good

[Suze]

Bush beans I am growing this fall: Brittle Wax, Dragon Tongue, Triomphe de Farcy, Tavera (TdF and this one are very similar, both filet types).

While all are very good (and stringless), Dragon Tongue is my favorite for taste by far. Excellent "buttered" flavor. It is the easiest (because of the distinct coloration) to spot and pick in those dense plants.

I am buried in beans! Just had to freeze some. Production is great for my one 3x12 bed considering it's probably only getting four hours of sun at this point.

[FlipTX]

Suze, I thought I had my beans all lined up for next spring but your post made me add Dragon Tongue to my wishlist.