Beans for drying

[BeatTheSeasons]

Hi everyone

After enjoying fresh runners and blue lakes for 3-4 months each year, I've just discovered the exciting world of dried beans

So of course next year I'm going to fill my allotment with lots of interesting varieties, not just buy boring packs from shops!

I looked at some old threads and found the following types recommended:

Canadian Wonder - best red bean
White Emergo - butter bean, needs a long season
Yin Yang - pretty bean but hard to grow
Borlottis - e.g. Lingua du Fuoco ("tongue of fire")
Tiger eye - yellow/pretty bean
Roqencourt - good black bean (but a dwarf)

(please correct me if I've missed out any really good varieties)

Does anyone know a good supplier for these, especially the unusual ones - is it really necessary to get them shipped from America?!!

Otherwise does anyone have a few spares of any interesting seeds that they'd be willing to put in an SAE?

Cambridge is meant to be the driest place in the UK, so I should have a good chance of success.

Thanks very much.

[veggiechicken]

Have a Look at the Virtual Seed Parcel http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...nce_68032.html You may find something there that appeals to you that you can swap some of your seeds for!
All the instructions are in the Link.

[northepaul]

NB if no luck with the seed parcel, I know most of the major seed companies offer Borlottis. Or you could always ask in the seed swap section and offer to swap for something you have a lot of.....
Also Serbian and Cherokee Trail of Tears are lovely dring beans too.

[zazen999]

Give it a couple of weeks, I'm just about to list all my beans on my website - and there will be a 10% discount for Grapes if you give your name in the order - once I've checked I'll refund the 10% once I get the order.

I have over 120 different varieties of French beans alone.

White Emergo is a Runner, not a French just in case you weren't aware...

[Thelma Sanders]

This year I grew Spagno Bianco from D T Brown - a huge white butter-type bean and it did really well for me

Bean (Shelling), Spagno Bianco Seeds

I used it as a good replacement for Greek Gigantes beans in recipes - cos some of them were really big beans

[chris]

Hewitt looks amazing - it's white with a splash of a mottled brown section.

[zazen999]

The Linear Legume: Hidatsa Shield Figure

I think they are similar to these...lovely aren't they?

One of my faves is Dapple Grey - which are being included in the Pea and Bean Circle this year.

[chris]

Yes, very similar! I'll put a picture up later when I've finished a couple of jobs. Those grey ones look great, almost soft/fuzzy

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Eh Zaz, what website?

[zazen999]

Eh Zaz, what website?

Once it's up and running with all seeds listed [a long long job!] I'll be posting in through faceache

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

B*gger not on Faceache.

[zazen999]

[Yes you are!]

It's also my homepage on here

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Found your website Zaz and you have Sanguina beetroot ! (I'm all out of seeds)

[Two_Sheds]

Does anyone know a good supplier

This is where I started my collection: Beans and Herbs

[BertieFox]

Why reinvent the wheel when there are certain types which have established fantastic reputations over the years? I'd recommend two types, but both are tall, climbing beans. First get some Tarbes beans, the best for making cassoulets and so on. Make sure these are the real McCoy though. I've just bought a 1kg packet of them (for eating and sowing) and have checked the germination which seems fine, as two out of two germinated strongly.
The other type, also a white climbing bean but larger than the Tarbes one, is the Asturian white bean used for Fabada Asturiana. I once bought what I thought were these in a bag in a Spanish supermarket but they turned out to be inferior dwarf beans, so be careful to buy them from a genuine local supplier... they are currently around 10 euros a kilo. Once you have a stock you can always save your own seed for future years. I've seen the Tarbes bean in seed catalogues but wouldn't know where to get the true Asturian seed other than in that region of Spain. Both are wonderful beans for drying... but watch out for weevils in storage.