Annette, I have not heard of this one before. I wonder if the hulls will remain tender as they turn yellow. - Dick

Dick, sorry I thought it was you who had grown them, someone on the forum has. I'm leaving the rest for seed but will try a couple when the pods look like they're turning color. Here's a picture of the seed.

Imagine a full bean with seed like that!

That's one pretty bean.

The seeds look a lot like "Bert Goodwin", which I grow... but as I recall (haven't grown it in a few years) the pods were more rounded, and it had only short runners.

Zeedman, I bought this seed in either 2010 or 11 from Hawthorn Farm Organic Seeds. I didn't plant many, just enough for a couple of meals and fresh seed. I still have most of the original packet of seed, would you like a few they should still be viable next year as germination was 100% this year. They grow at least 8' maybe more, they're over the top of the pergola they're growing on.

Annette

It does look like Bert Goodwin. There are rave reviews of this bean as a snap and shelly in GW posts and elsewhere but nothing about it as a full bean yet. - Dick

Dick I could send you a few too, best to use this older seed up while it's still viable, if interested email me.

Annette

I am sitting by the computer waiting for your yellow pod full bean report!

Frank Barnett is doing a grow out of Lazy Wife Red Fall Bean that is a fall bean with bright red-maroon seeds. That's another one I hope to grow next year. Dick

Well IMO you can scratch these as full beans, the pods were mushy with fiber, I think the bean itself would make a good shelly. Haven't tried any yellow beans as full beans yet but the Barksdale snaps we had for dinner tonight were melt in your mouth delicious.

Annette

Annette, thank you for the report. I also took Flamingo off the possible full bean list tonight for the same reason.

Anellino Giallo is a yellow fishhook shaped bean that is a fine full bean until the pods are almost dry. No strings.

Clay Bank Fall is a wax bean that develops red splotches as the tan seeds mature. We had a mess of those tonight and they were very good. They could be used as a good full bean at an earlier stage too before the splotches form.

Dick

Annette, what is your impression of the yield of "Berta Talaska"? I would be interested in growing it some time in the future, but I still have several years of maintenance grow outs to get caught up on.

Dick, if you are looking for a wax bean that might be a good full bean, "Zlatac" might be worth trying. It appears to be stringless, and the shellies have great flavor.

Zeedman, I only planted 5 beans but they produced a lot of pods, we had snaps a couple of times, haven't tried them as a shelly, I should, as full beans they were a bust. The rest I've left for seed.
I'll pop a few in the mail tomorrow, stick em in the freezer until you get around to growing them :).

Annette

Hi Annette I would be interested in a few of these seeds if you have some to spare I will grow them in isolation next year. Cheers Marj

Hi Marg, anything else you're looking for that I might have? If not 'Berta Talaska' will be in the mail tomorrow :).

Annette

Thanks Annette..

The dried pods are thin and brittle, really easy to shell, not quite dried they tear.

I pulled the vines yesterday, I lied, planted 10 beans 2 on each string. Even so still lots of seed from 10 plants 12.45 ozs.
I'm guessing, but the vines grew up their strings and over the top of the pergola 10 ft. or more and intertwined with a clematis it's a good thing the clematis is one that is cut to the ground each spring, untangling would have been a nightmare as it was we just whacked it off.

Annette

I just tried some Berta Talaska's as shellies, Zeedman's cooking method, what else can I say, DELICIOUS, they didn't even make it to the table DH and I polished them off standing at the kitchen counter. The only bad thing is I have to wait until next year for another feed.
So far Berta's are pretty good as a snap, yuk as a full bean, excellent as a shellie, dried???

Annette

Ok, you talked me into it if you can still spare some. - Dick

Dick, I still have a few of the original seed left, I'll send those along with a few fresh ones. I'll email you when they're in the mail, probably sometime next week. Your addy still the same?

Annette

Yep. Thank you. - Dick

I planted some of these, this year (2015). Unfortunately, rabbits ate down all but two vines. But, I did get to multiply seed and will make some available locally.