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Post by blackox on Oct 22, 2013 12:12:13 GMT -5
Does anybody have any experience growing or eating greasy beans? I have heard that they taste much better than regular green beans. I have also heard that they are in high demand in some places, and can cost somewhere around $65 a bushel!? The fact that they are Appalachian heirlooms (with some possibly originating in my area?) has gotten me even more interested in them. I would imagine that they would do good around my area. Here are the links for two websites that I am considering ordering from, just in case anybody else is interested: wrightsheirlooms.com/Home.html(-I'm having trouble loading the second one right now, but will try again later. I think that it's Sustainable Mountain Agricultural Center, or something similar.) They also have other types of beans from Appalachia, not just greasy beans. They also have a selection of tomato/pepper seeds from the Appalachian region. I doubt that they would ship outside of the U.S. A message to any beaniacs like myself out there; Try to control yourself on this one, they're really expensive! www.heirlooms.org/-Here's the link for the other site. |
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Post by oxbowfarm on Oct 22, 2013 20:10:50 GMT -5
I grew White Greasy Cornfield this year. I did not try them as green beans. They were very slow to come into production and barely made it before frost for dry seed. There are about a million Appalachian bean varieties. BlueFlint grows a large number of them, I don't think he has participated on the board for a while though.
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Post by galina on Oct 26, 2013 3:08:11 GMT -5
Always up for an experiment with different beans, especially beans which are totally alien to our growing conditions (central England at 52 degrees north), I have grown Greasy beans too. Incidentally, there also exists the greasy characteristic in some beans I got from the Republic of Georgia (not Geargia USA). I found that Greasy Grits and North Carolina Long Speckled Greasy Cutshort are doing fine here (not early but good beans when others are on the wane and easy to save seeds too), Grady Bailly is still ok, Pink Tip Greasy would need a bit longer and I don't think will adapt sufficiently. I am currently experimenting with a couple of other greasy beans but want to grow them at least for two generations (second time from own saved seeds to see whether they can adapt) before I can comment on them. I love the combination of green bean flavour and getting nutty beanies inside the green pods at the same time. It is a different eating experience. Normally in the UK we eat either green beans or shelled/dry reconstituted bean seeds. These beans (and some non-greasy varieties too) give you both at the same time, which is a tasty culinary experience and a lovely 'mouth feel'. My seeds were from Bill Best at SMAC and from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. It is always worth an experiment to see which beans will 'travel' and some do very well, others don't. The classic examples are the (not greasy!) Cherokee Trail of Tears beans and Rattlesnake which seem to do well, wherever they are grown. In summary, Greasy does not equal Greasy - you have to differentiate between different varieties and find out by growing them which will succeed for you. If you have a very short season I would definitely recommend transplanting them (at the two true leaf stage or a little later) to give them a headstart. Have fun.  PS: all greasy beans I know of have small seeds, the size of a rice corn. This means that there is less energy stored in these seeds and the young plants need a little more tlc than some bigger seeded beans. Unless conditions are right to sow direct, this is another reason to consider sowing indoors and transplanting later. PS2: Just remembered that I have also successfully grown Blue Greasy Grits (seeds from Jayb, in Wales UK) and they were late, but not too late. Very nice bean, but not actually what I would call 'greasy'. |
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Post by blackox on Oct 26, 2013 7:31:04 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies, the two of you! Galina, Thanks for the reviews on the varieties that you have tried, and the two seed sources that you have listed. I checked out SESE's website and have decided that I'll be making an order from their sometime soon. They have the Tan Cheese Pumpkin that I've been looking for for a while, along with a selection of cotton, which I also want to give a try. I would imagine that the growing conditions here would be similar to Central England's but I will start them indoors to give them a quicker start. I know what you mean by Republic of Georgia to, it's that former part of the U.S.S.R right next to the black sea that borders Russia. My favorite subject in school is Geography.  P.S. Who couldn't have fun growing beans! |
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Post by galina on Oct 27, 2013 5:23:45 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies, the two of you! Galina, Thanks for the reviews on the varieties that you have tried, and the two seed sources that you have listed. I checked out SESE's website and have decided that I'll be making an order from their sometime soon. They have the Tan Cheese Pumpkin that I've been looking for for a while, along with a selection of cotton, which I also want to give a try. I would imagine that the growing conditions here would be similar to Central England's but I will start them indoors to give them a quicker start. I know what you mean by Republic of Georgia to, it's that former part of the U.S.S.R right next to the black sea that borders Russia. My favorite subject in school is Geography. P.S. Who couldn't have fun growing beans! Glad you found the SESE reference of use Blackox, and yes, they stock some really nice seeds. I am afraid I have to disagree that our growing conditions might be similar. I have just read that you are in Ohio. We are more than 12 degrees further north than you. If you check on the World Climate website, our average temperatures during the growing season are very different too. Your temperatures are 4-5 degrees C (9 degrees F) warmer on average during the growing months than here. This makes a huge difference. Okra for example is not possible here unless grown in a greenhouse and most tomatoes are better under glass too. www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=N40W080+1302+338025Cwww.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=N52W001+1102+03534WWhich is however good news for you, because Southern beans should have a much easier time adjusting to your location than here. |
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Post by khoomeizhi on Oct 27, 2013 8:37:46 GMT -5
i don't have experience with growing them.
i'm in the southern appalachians, greasy beans' home turf. as a transplanted northerner, my experience with greasy beans have been pretty 'outsider-y'. what i've seen sold as greasy beans are usually very overgrown (read: lumpy with developed beans - very different fom galina's suggestion of small-seeded) and slightly tough, with a shiny/greasy appearance to the pods. to my palate, decent taste and terrible texture as a green bean.
not a huge fan, but i would be open to being schooled by someone with more experience with them as good food.
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Post by homegrower on Oct 27, 2013 11:53:04 GMT -5
I really enjoyed growing some Greasy cut-shorts several years ago.
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Post by dustdevil on Oct 28, 2013 8:09:22 GMT -5
In defense of greasy beans, they are more tender and flavorful than most commercial green beans. It is customary to grow them in Southern Appalachia with the beans bulging along the sides of the hull. The larger beans inside result in more protein than conventional green beans. Most Northerners don't know what they are or want them since they have strings. I think they're great!
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Post by 12540dumont on Oct 28, 2013 11:18:55 GMT -5
I grew Creasy Cut short and got them here: virtual.clemson.edu/groups/seed/heirloom.htm$2.00 a pack. They have both veges and heirloom veges. I did not use them fresh, but used them to make leather britches. They were not isolated, so they've crossed like mad. Don't forget your poles! These are TALL beans. The beans themselves looked like chicklets. Unlike SSE, Clemson will let you order more than one package. However, be warned...not a site for the beaniacs....don't even look. Good luck with your project. |
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Post by blackox on Oct 29, 2013 16:41:31 GMT -5
Galina, I was just guessing that our climates may be similar, I thought that the fact that England is surrounded by ocean would make up for the difference in latitude. Now that I see the facts though I'm even more happy that I have the climate that I do. I don't know if I could take it being any colder. Dustdevil, I remove strings from my beans all of the time, so it doesn't bother me, it's more than worth it. I also have plenty of gardening buddies in my area who don't have the slightest clue of what greasy beans are. They'll know by next year though. dumont, You had to do it, didn't you? I should have read on instead of going straight for the link. Oh well, no problem with cheap.  For next year I'm planning on trying dead okra stalks for my beans. Each on is about 7-8ft. tall, but I can tie stalks from a neighboring row to make arches, so they can go up and over. |
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Post by paquebot on Oct 29, 2013 21:30:37 GMT -5
That Clemson site is far from cheap and they only have one greasy. When you add 50¢ per packet of 25, it comes to $2.50 or 10¢ per bean. With most of those, it's not even a half ounce.
I've grown 4 greasy beans and I like them young before the strings develop. They were Blue Greasy, Cherokee Greasy, Red Striped Greasy, and Tennessee Greasy. One thing that they all had in common are short growth. On an 8' tepee, they only go about 6'. That makes them good for growing with corn.
Martin
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Post by DarJones on Oct 29, 2013 23:37:53 GMT -5
Striped Hull Greasy Cutshort, Greasy Back Cornfield, and Pink Tip Greasy are excellent varieties. You might also try Tobacco Worm and Barnes Mountain bean which are not greasy but are excellent Appalachian beans.
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Post by 12540dumont on Oct 30, 2013 14:07:29 GMT -5
In Dar's Southern French Bean Patch, I grew Turkey Craw, Emerite, and Striped Hull Crease Cutshort. These were all good beans. The Emerite had lovely purple flowers and compared most to my standard - the Santa Anna. Yes the other's had strings. The Turkey Craw is a beautiful dry bean. The Creasy was very early compared to the other 2. I had to beat Beth back from picking these as they were for a seed increase. Not for stuffing your own craw with! link Dar's Southern French Beans |
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Oct 30, 2013 14:30:33 GMT -5
Nice photos Holly!
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Post by homegrower on Oct 31, 2013 6:14:03 GMT -5
Striped Hull Greasy Cutshort, Greasy Back Cornfield, and Pink Tip Greasy are excellent varieties. You might also try Tobacco Worm and Barnes Mountain bean which are not greasy but are excellent Appalachian beans. How do they compare with Kentucky Wonder, Fortex, Blue Lake, Rattlesnake etc...? |
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For next year I'm planning on trying dead okra stalks for my beans. Each on is about 7-8ft. tall, but I can tie stalks from a neighboring row to make arches, so they can go up and over.
