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There's lots of white beans about (including Spagna Bianco from PW, which is a runner bean ) how do you classify what is a butter bean?
Err... Like the ones you get from the supermarket in a tin that say butter beans on the label, I know that might not be much help but thats all I know.
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Cheers Chris
Beware Greeks bearing gifts, or have you already got a wooden horse?... hehe.
Yeah that's where I started too crichmond. I reckon the nomenclature of beans is very confusing.
Here is the 'Butterbean' that momol is on about.
It seems to go by various names - Fagiolo di Spagna, Spagna Bianco, Soissons Gros Blanc a rames, Butter bean?
But when you google for info the 'Spagna' (of Spain) bit seems common , also
Haricots blanc de Soissons is a large white bean grown in the region of Soissons in France. It is shaped like oversized lima beans, with an especially meaty texture. In Italy, it is known as bianchi di Spagna or corona or bianco grande. Similar in size and shape to the gigante, a type of white runner bean, this bean has a different texture and flavour.
The bottom line is though that everyone says its a runner bean - and so I presume runner beans and butter beans are different?
Anyway I have some of PW's Spagna Bianco to try (although I have renamed them Haricot blanc de Soissons because of my Francophile tendencies!), if you check his blog or google the name, there's piccies of them growing in the UK.
(65 days) Known in the culinary world of Europe and especially France, Spain, and Italy as the finest soup bean in existence. This highly prized bean is coveted for its large creamy and smooth Lima bean size soup and contorno beans. Its also often picked small at about 5 inches before the pods swell offering wonderful flat green snap bean fare. However its letting them grow up to 9 inches and removing the 5 or 6 so seeds per pod and preparing them in the authentic recipes to bring about the true gourmet bliss they offer. It is hard to find good authentic stock of these beans and we are proud to offer such through our Italian friends at Bavicchi in Perugia, Italy. 100 gram packets (3.52 ounces) UNTREATED - $2.99
Phaseolus lunatus (lima bean) is also known as the sieva bean, the butter bean.....Phaseolus coccineus (scarlet runner bean)...
If you google for info on the spagna bianco you'll find that it is a runner bean and so cannot be a butter/lima bean? lol! Apparently this can be discerned when the bean germinates as 'if the seed halves stay underground (hypogeal) then it is a runner bean'.
I think I have a very few Polish Butter Bean seeds given to me in a swap. You are welcome to a couple to try. From memory I think it was recommended to grow them under glass. Will PM you.
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And time just slips away Bonnie Raitt
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