Stockpiled beans or dried beans 'Candy'

Our grower is constantly looking for suitable beans for the traditional three sisters cultivation, in which three crops support each other. The indigenous peoples of North and Central America grew corn, beans, and pumpkins as an ingenious combination. The beans climb up the corn, while the pumpkins cover and protect the soil. Candy fits perfectly into this system: the plants remain relatively short and have longer internodes, allowing the corn to receive enough light.

Culinary-wise, this is also a versatile variety. The young pods are deliciously tender as snap beans, while the half-ripe seeds make an excellent pole bean. When fully matured, Candy produces beautiful, kidney-shaped dry beans, with a pinkish-red base color and deep wine-red stripes and speckles.

Little is known about its origin. The name appears almost nowhere in the literature or in seed catalogs, which means it is probably an old family heirloom or a selection from a private collection. The growth habit and suitability for the three sisters cultivation suggest that this variety has retained characteristics that are less commonly found in modern, highly selected pole beans.

Designations:

• Latin: Phaseolus vulgaris
• Dutch: Pole bean or Dry bean
• Also known as: Climbing Princess Beans
• English: Snapbean-Pole