So far I have tried Blue Greasy Grits, Tobacco Worm, Tennessee Cutshorts and a couple more as full beans. I just steam mine over boiling water, as to how long, maybe 10-15 minutes.

Annette

Annette, 15 minutes is much less time than I would have thought. Thanks!

I like full beans best as the pods are turning yellow. It takes up to 40 minutes to steam them.

I do not see Snowball on Bill's site - Dick

Dick, I got the Snowball seed in a swap with Bill Best a couple years ago. This is the first time I have planted them.

Snowball beans picked today - dinner tonight.

YUM those look soooo good, as I mentioned above the varieties I've cooked as full beans only took 15 minutes give or take a few minutes, depends on the individual varieties, and the water was boiling before I started. Other kinds might take more time, do a taste test after 10-15 minutes, this should give you an idea how long these ones will take.

Annette

Thanks Annette, I'll keep taste testing them as they cook. I'll let you know how they turn out.

I am sooooo jealous!!

40 minutes is for a large pot that typically contains corn and other vegetables and it is starting with a cold pot and cold water. - Dick

This post was edited by drloyd on Sat, Apr 19, 14 at 17:00

We ended up cooking them for 30 minutes. Only a few of the shells fell off and the beans inside were still fairly firm. They were very tasty. My wife liked them so much she want's us to grow a lot more next year.

Shuffles, thank you for the report. Was that 30 minutes from a cold start or from boiling water?

Dick, from hot. I cook with only a little water in the pot, so it is very similar to steaming. One of my sisters always fills the pot with water when cooking veggies.

I've always done mine in a steamer basket over boiling water, I wonder if that makes a difference or if it's the variety.
In the off season I've bought green beans from the supermarket that are still tough after steaming for 20 or so minutes, other times they are tender after 10 minutes, so hard to plan when to put them on to have them just right when everything else is ready. I wouldn't bother buying them but I just have to have my bean fix at least once a week and I never have enough of my own to freeze.

Annette

That would be similar to what I do. I have a large pot with a steamer rack and a quart or more of cold water under the rack. I put the pot on the heat about 40 minutes before expected meal time.

I assume that Snowball has strings. Would you consider them to be a short or long season bean?

Oh yes, Snowball beans have strings! They took about 80 days from planting to picking. It looks like they aren't going to have another flush. Next year, I plan to succession plant them.

I do plan to do succession planting of Aunt Jean's this year with a first attempt started in pots about May 1. Hopefully frost won't get them. Then another round about July 1.

Snowball looks like a winner like so many Appalachian beans. Can you grow a fall crop to mature after it starts to cool off? - Dick

Dick, my garden usually doesn't dry off soon enough to plant fall pole beans. I tried some in containers last fall, but the white flies got them.

@shuffles_gw, I would love to have some snowball seed. I can't find any available online. Do you have any seed for sale?

Joshua, I have some that I saved from last year. I could send you some. Maybe you have a good shelly pole bean you would like to swap? Send me an email.

Joshua, I haven't figured out how to connect by email at this new HOUZZ. If you have a throw away email address, post it here and I will contact you. I have plenty of Snowball seeds. The photo shows some that should be ready soon.

Snowball Greasy did well for me last summer. They held on the vine into November. The only other one that lasted that long was Aunt Jean's.