Oct 18 2008
Better Know a Bean
Today, we went to the market in Lausanne. Among vegetables, spices, and cheese, all of which we’re really excited to eat, our most remarkable discovery of the day was fresh, purple beans. The internet cannot seem to tell me what kind of beans these are or how I might cook with them. Do you know this beautiful bean better than I?
Leave a comment and share your knowledge!
those look like jelly beans!
I think I got those at Dave’s Rock shop once. You boil them in cow lard, then let them dry in the sun for forty days. Afterwards, they are as tender and succulent as horse thighs. Mmm, mmm good!
Judy H didn’t leave a response, but she sent me two peoples’ suggestions. I didn’t find our beans, but I did discover an awesome bean web site. So if anyone wants to know where to go to get non-standard, heirloom beans, grains, and more, go to:
http://www.ranchogordo.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RG&Category_Code=DHAHB4
I don’t know anything about them but I’m growing them. They’re from seeds my grandmother collected. I’d ask her but she passed a year ago.
If you get an answer please let me know.
The flowers are bright red.
I have another bean with purple leaves pods and flowers. Only the beans themselves are black. I don’t much about them either, except that my grandmother collected the seeds.
Can’t wait too see what else she gathered.
How ’bout that? Check this site out: http://www.ranchogordo.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=RG&Product_Code=SCAB01&Category_Code=DHAHB4
According to them it is a Scarlet Runner Bean.
Here they are called “soisson” beans, and they are one of the few beans that are ubiquitous in this area, but the internet does not seem to think much of the name “soisson.” They are mainly available in plain white, and otherwise, in this gorgeous mottled purple color. They might well be scarlet runner beans. I’d have to see and try them myself to be sure.
I know this thread is old, but I thought I would share, I ahve soem of these beans from my cousin who works on a farm in Santa Cruz and the lovely purple beans are called Tekomari Scarlet Runner Beans!
These are seeds of Phaseolus coccineus (= Scarlet Runner Bean). The white seeds are likely to flower white , the black and speckeled ones red. It is probably a mix between the white- and the red flowering coccineus and their crosses. On my website you can see different varieties of P. coccineus.