Dursley Black kidney beans

[Number76]

I'm trying to trace some Dursley black kidney beans. My uncle used to grow them years ago on his garden at stonehouse, not too far away from Dursley. Can anyone please help?

[Alison]

Never heard of them but do wonder if they're a local variant of a more common (if any of them are!) black bean. Looks like somebody else was looking for them a few years ago (Kitchen Garden - View topic - Dursley Black), assuming this wasn't you then maybe you could contact them and see if they got any and how or maybe they could share some with you. Might also be worth contacting the Heritage Seed Library to see if they know anything about them.

[bearded bloke]

Could it be a local name for Black turtle beans (Shiny, ebony black and kidney shaped) ?

[veggiechicken]

Hi Number 76 and welcome to the Grapevine!
At a seedswap in Cardiff recently I acquired some Buckle's Black runner bean seeds that were said to have been grown locally for 20+ years. I've been unable to find anything out about them but wonder whether they are another local variant as Alison suggested. The actual beans are huge but I've no idea what they'll grow into

[drunkgardener]

runner beans and kidney beans are very simlar. People changing a seed varieties name not uncommon.

[drunkgardener]

Dursley Black kidney beans
kidney beans and black beans are same bean species. but runner beans are not but so many people confuse bean varieties and other vegetable variety names it ready hard to tell if this was an actual variety or a black bean sold Dursley seed company.

[veggiechicken]

My mother always calls runner beans - kidney beans. Maybe its a traditional name used by older gardeners (except me).

[bearded bloke]

Further to my post above Delia when referring to black turtle beans .............

We mean the black bean beloved of Caribbean and South American cooks, which is tender, chunky and sweet, sometimes sold in Britain as a black kidney bean. This, botanically, is just another variation on the theme Phaseolus vulgaris, the indispensable haricot bean.

Taken from .. Black beans - Ingredients a-c - Ingredients - from Delia Online

Was it a dwarf bean ? if so see halfway down this page for seeds ..........

The Vegetable Seed Store Bean Seeds

[Scarlet]

My mother always calls runner beans - kidney beans. Maybe its a traditional name used by older gardeners (except me).

My mam does too! Perhaps it's a welsh thing...

[veggiechicken]

Probably, Scarlet Welsh mams have their own set of rules My nana used to call them kidney beans too - except she used to say kiddely beans

[rita1]

I'm trying to trace some Dursley black kidney beans. My uncle used to grow them years ago on his garden at stonehouse, not too far away from Dursley. Can anyone please help?

Hello number 76, i live in Eastington just a jog from Stonehouse, use to live in Dursley, but i have not heard of black kidney beans sorry, but thought i would just say hi as your a neighbour.

[Potstubsdustbins]

In this country we mainly grow 'runner' beans Phaseolus Coccines.

In fact 'kidney' bean seed Phaseolus Vulgaric is much rarer maybe something to do with it containing toxins in certain cicumstances.

Potty

[zazen999]

OP - your best bet is to go to the allotments where your uncle grew his veg and ask them...chances are someone has some somewhere.

I've checked on HSL database and they aren't there - so they are probably a local variety that have probably died out unless someone around there has kept some. Stick an ad up in some post offices - you never know.

[Number76]

Thanks to you all for the welcome and the replies.Alison, followed your link - yes that was me. So the hunt goes on-

[Two_Sheds]

"kidney" is a shape of bean, not a variety.

Kidney beans come in different colours, not just red, and they are the seeds of "green" beans, aka French beans, runner beans.

The best true red kidney bean I've grown is Canadian Wonder. I've got a few different black bean seeds, some small & oval like the turtle bean above, some longer and slimmer.
I haven't got a black bean that has the kidney shape though.