So, I bought these beans at the farmers market...

[beac]

and I neglected to ask what they were. They are kind of like green beans, except flat and white with purple streaks. I want to look up a recipe for them, but without a name, I am stuck.

I've tried Googling to no avail.

Do these sound familiar to anyone?

[supernova]

1. Are you saying the hull is purple?

or the beans themselves are purple and white?

[beac]

2. I guess I'm talking about the hull. The beans inside are like the beans inside a green bean, so

I'm assuming they are meant to be eaten whole. The hull is an off-white color with long, streaky speckles of purple. They are wider, flatter and a little longer than green beans.

I feel so dumb for not being able to figure out what they are. I swear I even saw seeds for beans like this at one point this spring.

[supernova]

3. There is a purple hull variety

But we usually shelled those because they were older when we picked them. The hull was tougher.

But I imagine you could eat the hull, esp if you take out the strings.

[MagickMuffin]

4. Do they look anything like this?!?!?

I got this pic from here, using image google search: http://idigmygarden.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17298&page=2


The people at the forum are calling them Purple Podded Pole Beans and purple bush bean. I'm not sure what they are :shrug: But if you read through the forum perhaps you'll find out more info.

[Arkansas Granny]

5. Could it be Rattlesnake Beans? I've seen them in catalogs before.

[supernova]

8. I looked up "pole beans"

but I didn't see any pics like that.

Never heard them called "rattlesnake beans"

THanks for the info. :-)

[beac]

9. They do look a LOT like those, but with white instead of green.

I think I finally found them. (The "Pole" on your package was a great hint!) I believe they are "Dragon Langerie" aka "Dragon's Tongue."

Top bean in this pic:



From High Mowing Seeds (http://www.highmowingseeds.com/organic-seeds-dragon-langerie-bean.html):

"Commonly eaten fresh as a snap bean with superb flavor and crispness – a clear winner in our 2008 taste tests. Streaks fade when cooked. Can also be shelled at a later stage for tender, creamy shell or dry beans. Purple seeds." (my seeds look white, but maybe b/c they are immature?)


Googling around, it seems they are best raw in salads or lightly cooked, but can be substituted into more or less any green bean recipe.


Thanks for your help in solving the mystery! :hi:

[Arkansas Granny]

10. They look beautiful. Be sure to give us an update on how they taste.

I think those would look pretty growing in a garden, even with ornamentals.

[Warpy]

6. They sound like an heirloom variety

The pods of those are edible, but tend to be a lot more fibrous than regular string beans. I think most people grow them to maturity and shell them before cooking them fresh or drying them.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

7. I've seen those beans in my market

exactly as you described. I never really noticed what they called them. They're not all that unusual, I was surprised I couldn't easily find a picture and name.