Beans are divided in three categories; snap, shell and dry. Snap beans get the name from the sound they make when they are broken in desirable lengths. Certain varieties of beans don’t make suitable snap beans because they are stringy and have more fibrous pods. They are used as shell beans as the beans are allowed to mature longer than those used as snap beans. Many heirloom varieties are not suitable as a fresh eating snap bean but are excellent as a shall bean. Other beans are more suitable as a shell beans, like kidney beans, pinto’s etc. They are allowed to stay on the vine until they dry. They are used in soup, chili, and many other tasty dishes.
Most beans are in the Genus Phaseolus (Latin for kidney). Snap, filet, Romano, and wax beans are in the species vulgarus (which means common). Kidney beans are in the species lunatus (which means crescent shaped).
Beans contain fiber and a lot of protein. They also contain folicin (folic acid) and the amino acid lysine.
Although beans have been cultivated for thousands or years, prior to the mid 1800’s they were most grown as a shell or dry bean. Green beans had strings that had to be removed and were referred to as sting beans. They had fibrous pods that had to be cooked for a very long time to get make them tender. In the mid 1800’s, breeders began working on new varieties which led us to the many popular stringless green beans of today. Most stringless bush green bean varieties of today are white seeded, however, they weren’t the first. Calvin Keeney, known as the “Father of the Stringless Bean”, bred the first stringless green bean. The National Garden Bureau says it was the year 1898, but most other sites claim it was the year 1894. One site even said it was originally listed by Breck’s High Grade Seeds then it says that is was first offered by Burpee. Let’s get the facts straight! Anyway, the bean he bred is claimed to be purchased from Mr. Keeney by Burpee Seed Company, who first offered it in 1894… It was brown seeded. It was the most popular bean on the market until the “Tendergreen” was introduced in 1925 which was white seeded. Then everything changed when Asgrow Seed Company introduced the Blue Lake in 1962… The Blue Lake revolutionized the green bean industry as we know it today and probably more varieties have been developed from the Blue Lake than any other variety.
Green pole type beans weren’t improved until the famous “Kentucky Wonder” hit the market when it was developed in 1877 by the Ferry-Morse Seed Company. It remains very popular till this day. The Blue Lake Pole Bean was also developed (don’t know when yet) and the Blue Lake Bush was developed from it. The “Kentucky Blue” Pole Bean was developed by the Rogers Brothers Seed Company as a result of crossing Kentucky Wonder and Blue Lake. It was awarded the AAS Winner in 1991. Seeds of Change also offer the “Black-Seeded Blue Lake” Pole Bean… Interesting!
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