Spilling the Beans
Spilling the Beans
French horticultural beans are a small but mighty crop on our farm and we’re spilling the beans to let everyone know about their greatness. They are small in that we only farm less than an acre of these beans, mighty, as these beans allow one to eat well year round! Eating healthy and in season… Read More »
French horticultural beans are a small but mighty crop on our farm and we’re spilling the beans to let everyone know about their greatness. They are small in that we only farm less than an acre of these beans, mighty, as these beans allow one to eat well year round! Eating healthy and in season is meant to “bean” and we hope reading our blog about these beans “will just grow on you”!
Horticultural beans are a category of bean that are grown on a bush, like snap and soybean, and are classified as a legume, along with peanuts and peas, as they originate from the seeds of flowering plants. Legumes are indeed a vegetable and some consider them to be one of the most nutritious and versatile foods around as they are low fat, high in plant compounds and vitamins and minerals.
Grown in long, flat pods they contain large plump seeds that are rich in fiber and protein and are
typically used as an inexpensive substitutes for meat. Their nutty flavor and versatile use have made these very popular with home cooks especially in France and other parts of Europe. Sometimes also called Cranberry Beans as it refers to their coloring which ranges from cream to white with a distinctive cranberry red speckle. These beans are also popular in Mediterranean cuisines, where they are also known as Romano beans or Borlotti beans, and are loved for their taste and texture in soups, stews, salads, casseroles and chili dishes.
We grow these dry beans not only for crop diversity but also as they are capable of “fixing nitrogen” meaning taking it from the air and converting it into usable form in the soil. Nitrogen is essential for all forms of life and cultivating plants that can assist with this process is part of our sustainable and regenerative farming processes.
French Horticultural beans can be used in two ways, picked when young and tender and used like snap beans or allowed to mature and used the more popular way, as shelling beans. We harvest our beans in October by pulling the pods from the plants and sorting. The brown pods are placed in burlap bags to dry. We shake the bags to loosen the pods from the plants then lay it on a flat surface where we blow the leaves and chaff off and the beans remain. Once they are dried, these are one of the most shelf stable items in your pantry allowing you to eat healthy and nutritious food all year round. The green pods (when available) are harvested, kept in pod to be used as fresh beans. If you want to preserve these beans at this stage the best way to do so is to freeze them.
Miss Jenn, our culinary and educational specialist, loves using French horticultural beans in her
dishes and wants to introduce you to this delightful vegetable. She has specially curated some hearty and healthy recipes for you to enjoy at home. Try making this French Horticultural Bean Gratin using a few simple ingredients to create an amazing home cooked meal. Or you may prefer her recipe for French Horticultural Bean Cassoulet which includes sausage, potatoes and delicious beans to create a favored recipe around your dinner table.
We hope you enjoyed learning about these amazing beans and are interested in trying some at home real soon.
Best wishes from our farm kitchen to yours!
