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Post by flowerchild on Feb 10, 2014 17:13:37 GMT -5
Twice now, once in Miami Beach and once in London, I've been served some giant beans that I believe started out dried. They were an inch or better long, nearly as wide, white in color. Very smooth and creamy texture. Delicious indeed.
After searching on the internet, it appears they may have been Gigante beans. They did not taste like Limas at all, so I don't think they were the Gigante seeds I found that said they were a type of Lima, but rather the runner bean sort.
So, now I'm on the hunt for seeds, and am coming up empty. I found a UK site, but they don't ship to the US. Does anyone have information on where I may be able to get seeds? And/ or growing info? We're zone 5, but I have a cold greenhouse and a conservatory, so I grow some things not ordinarily found in our zone. Thanks, I've found this a fascinating place!
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Post by oxbowfarm on Feb 10, 2014 18:35:13 GMT -5
It is listed in the 2014 SSE yearbook, "Gigante Butter Bean" from a guy in Half Moon Bay, CA. A google search for Gigante gave me "Iacopi Farms" in Half Moon Bay, CA that sells them for market. Sounds as if Half Moon Bay is the beating heart of Gigante beans in the US.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Feb 10, 2014 18:40:05 GMT -5
This isn't called "Gigante" but its a runner with "huge white seeds". Bean Spagna BiancoThat seed may look expensive, but remember those are european seed packets so you get a ton of seed. |
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Post by flowerchild on Feb 10, 2014 21:18:11 GMT -5
Had found the name of the farm that sells them at the market in a Half Moon Bay, but not the other. I really have been looking! California is a bit far to go to buy some  At the farmers market. I went to the SSE website, but didn't see them there. Could you tell me where else to look? I haven't the yearbook. I checked out the other seeds from Italy, but they don't look much the same. These were huge, and almost as wide as tall. Thanks for the answer! I appreciate all the help I can get, I'd really like to try growing these. I grow my climbers upon hog panels curved over and fastened to steel fence posts. This works great! |
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Post by zeedman on Feb 10, 2014 21:18:28 GMT -5
There was a grow out of "Gigandes" in 2012, of seed from a Greek mail order source which has since closed up shop. Several seed savers were involved, self included. It was a bad year for me - the vines were decimated by hail in mid-summer, just as they had begun to bloom. They bounced back, though, and managed to produced enough dry seed for me to attempt a larger planting. I was supposed to grow it last year to further multiply the seed, but a very wet June kept me from planting... weather permitting (and that's a big "if" here) I'll be trying again this year. The same year, another forum member I know grew "Bianco de Spagna", and compared it to "Gigandes" (I grew "Bianco de Spagna" that year also, but had a crop failure). The two beans appear to be very similar in seed size & usage. Both are described in the thread below: Gigandes Beans |
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Post by cesarz on Feb 11, 2014 4:31:17 GMT -5
I have a "Gigante" type white runner called "White Butterfly", it is two and a half times bigger seeds than an ordinary runner bean seed. Pm me.
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Post by flowerchild on Feb 11, 2014 9:14:17 GMT -5
Zeedman, what a disappointment to have your crops nearly wiped out. I'm trying hard not to think of all the time and effort I put into moving plants into our plastic hoop house last fall. Usually we harvest broccoli into December and leeks all winter, plus have early crops of those, chard etc in the spring. We've had way below 0 temps day after day. I fear everything is lost, and well have to start fresh. All my garlic over winters in there, as it's too cold outside. This year with the heavy snow, they would have been better outside.
Cesarz, I've sent you a message.
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Post by flowerchild on Feb 11, 2014 9:31:40 GMT -5
Wow, Zeedman, went to that thread, how did I miss that on Google? Great info, and it seems the bean oxbow farm wrote about is larger than it looks, but still seems less round, and more bean shaped. Still worth a try.
And... The package of beans from a store that someone posted a pix of gives me an idea, as I think I saw them for sale online. If they will sprout... I could be in business! Will be ordering both and crossing my fingers. If the package from the gourmet shop doesn't sprout, at least I'll have some to eat for now.
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At the farmers market. I went to the SSE website, but didn't see them there. Could you tell me where else to look? I haven't the yearbook. I checked out the other seeds from Italy, but they don't look much the same. These were huge, and almost as wide as tall. 