Post by ceara on Feb 1, 2009 18:57:38 GMT -5
Has anyone ever seen or grown the Blue Shackamaxon pole bean?
The shell is like a mottled light pink on a green background and the beans themselves are solid blue.
The funkiest bean I ever saw. Wish I could copy the photo image from the book for online viewing.
Ooh just found a link to a blog online with a photo
foursquaresociety.blogspot.com/2008/09/leeks-fight-with-sweet-potatoes-for.html
Anyway just thought I would share info about this interesting bean. Makes for good reading on a cold winter's day. ;D
Below is an excerpt about this cultivar from a book I have. Book is Heirloom Vegetable Gardening.
The shell is like a mottled light pink on a green background and the beans themselves are solid blue.
The funkiest bean I ever saw. Wish I could copy the photo image from the book for online viewing.
Ooh just found a link to a blog online with a photo
foursquaresociety.blogspot.com/2008/09/leeks-fight-with-sweet-potatoes-for.html
Anyway just thought I would share info about this interesting bean. Makes for good reading on a cold winter's day. ;D
Below is an excerpt about this cultivar from a book I have. Book is Heirloom Vegetable Gardening.
This old variety of pole bean was preserved among the Quaker farmers of southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey. It is said to be a Lenape bean dating from before 1800. Seeds were preserved by Samuel Miller, a seedsman of Mechanicsville (Bucks Country), Pennsylvania. During a 1906 boat trip up the Delaware River to the site of Pennsbury Manor organized by the Friends Historical Association, several individuals received samples of Miller's seed from Mahlon Moon, a local history buff who believed the beans had been cultivate at the manor for many years.
The name Shackamaxon refers to a place along the Delaware River in the present-day Kesington section of Philadelphia. The bean was never grown commercially and therefore never appeared in general literature on American bean varieties.
The oldest strains of Blue Shackamaxon were grown by Pennsylvania farmers more as curiosities than as table vegetables. For this reason, the bean never underwent concerted breeding improvements.
The vines reach 6 to 7 feet with rose-pink flowers. The Blue Shackamaxon shelly bean is a bright navy blue, the mature cutshort is blue-black. When the pods dry, they turn a purple-blue color similar to that of Blue Pod Capucinjer peas.
The dry bean can be used in any recipe calling for Mexican-style black beans.
The name Shackamaxon refers to a place along the Delaware River in the present-day Kesington section of Philadelphia. The bean was never grown commercially and therefore never appeared in general literature on American bean varieties.
The oldest strains of Blue Shackamaxon were grown by Pennsylvania farmers more as curiosities than as table vegetables. For this reason, the bean never underwent concerted breeding improvements.
The vines reach 6 to 7 feet with rose-pink flowers. The Blue Shackamaxon shelly bean is a bright navy blue, the mature cutshort is blue-black. When the pods dry, they turn a purple-blue color similar to that of Blue Pod Capucinjer peas.
The dry bean can be used in any recipe calling for Mexican-style black beans.
I especially liked the pods. 