Most Delicate Bean
If your idea of green beans starts with the opening of a can, you probably don't want these beans. This is gourmet stuff here. They are no longer than 3" and the strings must be removed. You may never have eaten a bean this tender. I acquired seed to grow this variety from Dr Bill Best, Appalachian bean expert. This is a Kentucky heirloom greasy bean. Greasy beans are so called because they look shiny when cooked. Contrary to what we've all heard, Dr Best says that beans DO cross-pollinate. All the new bean varieties are tough, and if you plant these tender beans with tough ones, the seed will produce tough beans. Bean varieties should be spaced 1000' apart to insure against cross-pollination. So this was the only bean I grew this year, to honor my mother-in-law Mary Bachman. I ran out of these right away, but will grow more next year.
3 comments:
I've been meaning to try these myself. I suspect my climate isn't warm enough, and in any case I don't have space this year, but maybe sometime they would be worth trying...
Your pictures all look great! The tomatoes you're offering also look great, but I don't have anymore space for anything this year! Maybe I'll give them a try another year too.
So, how do I get some of these Mary Moore bean seeds. My mother use to grow greasy beans and these sound like and look like hers. She is now blind, I'm retired (this year) and ready to plant her some of these beans.
I live in Western NC. I think depending on where you live, people in that area tend to grow certain things. Almost all of the old folks I know grow "Greasy Cutshort Beans" either the large or small varieties. They keep these bean seeds close and share only if they really like you haha. I didn't know they were such a rarity until I tried to buy them myself. I've eaten them always but never tried to grow them until last year. Had to con my neighbor out of some of her saved seeds.
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