Should have mentioned it's a pole bean.

I haven't tasted this one yet but I might pick the last few beans for a taste test, another one I'm growing for seed. The pods are flat and thin, I took this picture with the light shining through them, you can see the beans forming inside the thin pods.

Annette

Nice looking bean. Nope, that's a new one for me. Good job!

George

After reading the thread on Bosnian Yellow I went out and snapped another picture, although these are turning yellow the pods are staying thin even with the seeds starting to swell. By the feel of them I think they would still snap, they're not at all rubbery. Maybe this is another wax bean, the description that came along with the beans didn't state whether they were a green bean or wax, any thoughts?
I'll post another pic when I shell them out.

Annette

When you posted the photo of the seeds, Annette, I wondered whether it would be yellow-podded. The seeds closely resemble a pole wax I've grown ("Zlatac", from the Czech Republic) in both shape & color. I can't remember if the pods on mine were that wide, though. I'll be looking forward to further updates.

Fine looking beans, Annette!

I couldn't resist I picked one, steamed it with the IWK's we were having for supper, what can I say it's a winner, stringless, so very tender and only needs to be steamed for several minutes, in fact this is one you have to watch or you'll overcook them. I've heard the term buttery, this might well fit them. The bean was a limey yellow when picked but cooked up a pale yellow. On the vine they have a bit of pink starting on the tail end as well as the top. Not great pictures but I think you can make out the pink on the tail ends.

Annette

Most of the pods are at the leathery stage now so I shelled a couple, the color of the seed looks more like the description given for these beans, they darken as they age. One had a split seed coat so I'm thinking I should pick them before they are completely dry. The color on this bean pod sure changes as it ages, a coat of many colors :). Here's a couple more pics of what this bean looks like now.

Unusual, looks like robin's eggs. Don't think I've seen one like it.

... at the leathery stage these pods have to be snipped off the vine, the bean will give way but not the stem attached to the vine. Still no strings at this stage.

Zeedman, now that this bean has matured does it now look like the 'Zlatac' you mentioned?

Another picture, this is what it looks like semi-dried. Does it resemble 'Zlatac'? The seed has darkened slightly since this pic was taken, probably end up brown like the original picture.

Annette

Ooops wrong pic she says sheepishly, here's the right one.

Seed has a few wrinkles, picked a little early after finding some with split seed coats.

Don't know about Zlatec, Annette, but wanted to tell you that the Sunset Runner has beautiful bright blue seeds as a shelly, in squared sections like pixels. This darkens to a handsome midnight blue then to black. Very pretty, and a surprise. The bean was more colorful than the blossom!

Happy sounds like I should beg a few seeds for myself :). Have you eaten any, how do they taste?

Annette

Didn't you have any Sunset seeds for yourself? I will save you some! I didn't taste any shellies. They are big shellies. The green beans taste sweet as runners usually do. They were not very prolific this year, I planted three stands and one didn't even go up the trellis. I think I crowded too many trellises in the space and they got shaded. Also it was a weird year, first too cold for vine growth then baking hot and droughty at bloom which was bad for the pollen. But I think there will be enough for a good trade. Need to pick the rest of the beans soon. Sadly I lost many this year to sprouting in the pod because of the late rains.

Happy I'm sure I can scrounge a few more seeds, no need for you to send, besides, I'll be growing IWK's again next year :).

Annette

Does anyone Know what this bean is? I got it from a co-worker who said she gets them from an old italian guy who's grandparents brought them over on the boat with them.

Thanks,

With that squared off end it looks like one called 'Fagioli di Cuneo'. A bean introduced to Italy's N.W. Cuneo Prov. in the early 1800's. Here's a couple of pictures of the few seeds I have. Do these look like yours? I haven't grown this pole bean yet so can't tell you what the pod looks like.

Annette

Annette, Those look pretty identical to me. I think some of mine were turning brown because I had them on the kitchen counter for 3 days and it was hot an humid in there, they actaully began to soften, I have them all in front of a fan right now. I plan on doing a small batch of shellies maybe tonight, so I'll get a bit better picture of a batch of them out of the pods. Thanks for the info, I'll have to do some reading up on those.

Here are a few more pictures. I just strung up half of what I had left and shelled the rest. This first pile is all of the normal ones. 98% of them are in this pile.

Then I'd say about 1.9% are inverted in color. All the inverted ones were in the same several pods together. I am not sure if they were all off one plant, or just a random offering from different plants here and there.

Then Finally, I have one bean which is half normal and half inverted. I am really hoping if I plant this bean I can get more of the same, even if they aren't ALL like that, at least if I had a higher incidence of them occuring I might eventually be able to get a pure half colored bean like this. It would look awesome in a mason jar.

CH, that would be funny if you could breed a half and half bean!

Hi Annette:

I was given some of these Polish Freidank seeds as well but I could not get them to germinate this spring. They just rotted even though I had them in a warm spot. Did you do anything special to get yours to germinate?

Thanks.

Shirley (Brightmeadow)

Hi Shirley, because I didn't know if they were just an old variety or the seed itself was old I germinated mine in 2" pots in No#2 Sunshine Mix on a heat mat, the few I planted all germinated. I only grew 8 plants so left them all for seed, I could send you some fresh seed if you want.
You have to watch you don't overcook this one, tried one steamed with other beans and it was overcooked but the flavor was pretty good.

Annette

CH, Borlotto Stregonta has coloring that is a bit similar. The seeds that are mostly dark have a little more of a dark chocolate color. I collected enough of the dark ones to plant a 14 foot row in the summer of 2010. My new variety was going to be called Chocolate Borlotto. When they matured, they were almost all the normal tan with maroon streaks with even fewer of the dark ones than before. - Dick

What a beautiful bean Annette, I secretly hoped it would be a wax bean, there are so few varieties of pole wax beans (relative to bush varieties) that people know of. I noticed Uzice Speckled Wax did the same sort of pink stripes just before it started to dry out for seed.

Hi Annette:

That's great! I'll look forward to a few fresh seeds.

Shirley (Brightmeadow)