|
[ Click here for basic seed
saving tips ]
|
Appaloosa
85 days The plants can reach 24 inches and have short
runners. The seeds have one cream half and the other
is maroon and mottled with various patterns - like the tail
end of an Appaloosa horse. Can be used young as a snap
bean but generally dried and shelled. About 80 seeds per ounce. |
|
|
|
|
|
Cranberry
70 days An
heirloom horticultural
bean variety popular in New England dating back to the
mid-1800s. The seeds are buff mottled with
cranberry. Used dry or green shelled, there are five to
six seeds per pod. The plants are hardy and they are
easy to shell. The flavor is sweeter and more
delicate than pinto beans. Popular for Italian, Spanish and
Portuguese dishes. About 65 seeds per ounce. |
|
Cranberry,
Gross Brother's Vermont
65 to 85 days An
heirloom variety that was sent to us several years back by
a gardening friend. She rescued it from an older gardener
who has since passed away but who had grown it for many years in
the short gardening season of the Cold Hollow Mountain region near
Enosburgh, Vermont. Introduced commercial by us in 2007.
We have been growing out limited quantities and are making them available
to home gardeners. The seeds are buff and
heavily mottled with cranberry coloring. They are used as
green beans when young or dried. There are four to five
seeds per five inch pod. The plants are upright and do not
require support. About 55 seeds per ounce. |
|
Flageolet
90 days This bean has
been grown extensively in Europe, specifically France and
Italy, and has become associated with fine French
cuisine. The seeds are pale green in color and have
a delicate flavor with a creamy texture. Can be
enjoyed shelled, baked, or used in soups. About 100 seeds
per ounce. |
|
Great Northern
90 days According to Oscar H. Will, this very old bean variety was obtained from Son of Star, a Hidatsa Indian in the early 1880s. The variety grows well in Northern climates, hardy and a heavy yielder. Plants reach 20 to 24 inches in height. Its white seeds are an excellent choice for baked beans or soups. More tender and cook more quickly than Navy Beans. About 90 seeds per ounce. |
|
|
Kidney,
Large Purple (Norberg or Wanda)
90 days We love mysteries and this bean's
history is one of them. Two different gardeners, from opposite
ends of the Willamette Valley of Oregon, provided us with
seeds and similar stories.
One gardener's grandmother (Wanda) grew them for over 50
years after receiving seeds from her German neighbor who
grew them commercially on his farm during World War II near
Damascus, Oregon.
Our other source, Frank Gehrman, was a veteran of World War II who upon returning from
the war, bought his farm in Scotts Mills, Oregon from an
elderly farmer named Mr. Norberg. He had been growing
the bean on his place for many years and used it as one of
his primary staples.
These kidney-type beans are a deep maroonish-purple color
and large and meaty. The bean turns brown when cooked
and although they look similar to other kidney beans, the
flavor is outstanding. They seem to stay moist and not dry
out. |
|
Montezuma Red
95 days
Also known as 'Mexican Red'. Bushes
tend to sprawl a bit, reach about 14
inches, and produce small to medium sized, flattened dark
red beans. An heirloom popular in California
since the mid-1800's but fairly rare now.
Keeps shape well when baked. About 80 seeds per ounce. |
|
 Nightfall
Beans (Black)
80 days We do not know a great deal about this
bean. It is an attractive little bean that
has a light, slightly sweet flavor. Its striking black color
makes it a remarkable addition in salsas, salads and
relishes. About 110 seeds
per ounce. |
|
Nightfall
Beans (Red)
80 days We do not know a great deal about this
bean. It is an attractive little bean that
has a light, slightly sweet flavor. Its striking red color
makes it a remarkable addition in salsas, salads and
relishes. About 110 seeds
per ounce. |
|
|
Raquel
110 days This heirloom bush bean is well adapted to the warmer
climates of the southwestern states. It sets an abundance
of pods which mature over several weeks. This variety is
of excellent quality for southwestern recipes for baked
beans and for preparing soups. It does have short
runners. About 70 seeds
per ounce. |
|
Rio
Zappe
95 days A violet-purple color bean with
slashes of dark burgundy. The dark color is retained
during cooking. Reportedly grown by the Anasazi
(cliff dwelling) people of the desert Southwest. Settlers
found these beans in the ruins in the early 1900s.
About 70 seeds per ounce. |
|
Soldier
Bean (European Soldier Bean)
100 days Well known in
early New England, this heirloom bean is great as a baking
or soup bean. The name is from the markings near the eye
that resembles an 18th Century European soldier.
White with reddish brown markings around the hilum or
eye. In France, this bean is known as 'Haricot
St-Esprit ΰ Oeil Rouge' or 'Holy Spirit in Red Eye' bean.
About 40 seeds per ounce. |
|
 Spanish
Tolosana Bean
90 days
A beautiful bean, maroon
with beige striping and large in size. The plants are somewhat
sprawling, probably due to the heavy yields of long heavy pods.
It reaches "shell bean" stage in 70 days and dry bean in 90 days.
Makes a great chili bean. About 51 seeds per ounce. |
|
Swedish
Brown
95 days Origins are from Scandinavia in the 1890s.
Nice nutty flavor for soups or baked. Five to seven light
brown seeds with white eyes per pod on fifteen inch plants. Does good
in the North. About 65 seeds per ounce. |
|
Taylor
Dwarf Horticultural
68 days This variety dates back to the early
1800s and is reported to have been brought to the U.S. from
Italy. The plants are semi-runner type, 14 to 18 inches
long. Does well in cool climates. The seeds are tan streaked
with dark-red. They are good early as a snap bean but
generally used as green shell beans. About 50 seeds
per ounce. |
|
Tongue
of Fire
70 days Italian heirloom (Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco). A cranberry-type
horticultural bean
variety
originally collected from Tierra del Fuego on the tip of South
America. The pods are ivory tan with red streaks and spots
as they mature. The seeds are large and roundish.
They have an excellent flavor and texture and are good
fresh, canned, frozen or dried. About 55 seeds per ounce. |
|
Trout
(Forellen)
90 days Many sources list the bean varieties 'Trout' and
'Jacobs Cattle Beans' as synonyms. Others state that
'Anasazi' are also the same. As you can see from
images of the seeds, they are unique to one another.
It is believed that 'Trout' beans are an heirloom from
Germany and prized for their ability to absorb flavors yet
maintain their texture and shape. About 45 seeds per ounce. |
|
White
Marrowfat (a.k.a. White Egg)
100 days Originated in the mid-1800s. The
pods are inedible but the seeds are larger than navy beans and a
good baker. Some say they have a bacon-like flavor.
They puree nicely for soups. There are five to six plump, white,
egg-shaped seed per pod on prolific half runner plants.
Harvest after about 100 days for dry use. About 60 seeds per ounce. |
|
Steuben Yellow
Eye (a.k.a. Molasses Face)
90 days Beautiful cream colored beans with a splash of yellow over the
eye. Popular field bean in New England, the 18 inch bush-type
plants are hardy and prolific. Excellent for soup and
baking. About 50 seeds per ounce. |
|