Dwarf Bean Firetongue

'Firetongue' (or 'Big Borlotto') bean is a classic Italian bush variety. It produces spectacular pods and seeds with bright purplish red and white mottling. The large 15-20 cm long pods grow in clusters and contrast beautifully with the green leaves. Perfect for kids! The immature pods can be eaten whole, raw or cooked, or harvested later as dry beans. They store well and have a creamy texture and slightly nutty flavour. They are ideal for traditional Italian dishes such as minestrone (however when cooked for too long the colour will be less vivid). Sow from April to July and harvest regularly from June to October.

Beans are popular vegetables belonging to the Fabaceae family, grown for their edible pods or seeds. They were widely consumed in the New World before being introduced and acclimatized in Europe during the 16^th century. Beans have now become a staple food worldwide. Cultivated beans fall into two main categories: vining/climbing varieties known as pole beans (indeterminate growth habit) or low-growing bush varieties (determinate growth habit). Heirloom and traditional varieties are all vining and will require a support to scramble up. Bush varieties are free-standing and compact which can be practical in smaller growing spaces. They produce one large harvest over a short period of time, as opposed to vining beans which can be harvested nearly all summer long.

Green beans, string beans or snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are grown for their cylindrical immature pods. Some varieties are yellow (wax beans) whilst others are purple or streaked with red. Filet beans, also known as French beans or Haricots verts, are particularly thin and tender. Older green bean cultivars generally develop a tough fibrous thread along the pod’s seam, hence the name “string” bean. Modern “snap” varieties are stringless. Runner beans or scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) develop flatter pods that are generally chopped diagonally when cooked. The ornamental plants produce large, attractive red or white flowers.

Shell beans are grown for their seeds, the pods are discarded. They can be harvested as fresh, tender beans (about 60 days after sowing) or as dry beans (about 90 days after sowing).

Immature green pods are rich in vitamins A, B9 and C, trace elements and minerals. Dry beans are also very rich in vitamin C and trace elements and are an excellent source of vegetable protein.

Harvesting: Green beans should be harvested every 2 to 3 days, about 50-60 days after sowing. For fresh shell beans, harvest before the pods begin to dehydrate and become wrinkled. To harvest dry beans, cut off the whole plant at its base and hang it in a dry, well ventilated place. The beans can then be shelled as and when required or stored in airtight jars.

Storage: Green beans can be either be blanched then frozen, canned, or dried for later use. Dry beans will keep up for a year when stored in the right conditions.

Good to know: Like all members of the Fabaceae family, beans are nitrogen-fixing plants. They are often used in crop rotations to enrich the soil before or after plants that require lots of nitrogen to grow. Traditionally, bean crops were grown alongside squash and corn plants in Central and South America in a system known as Milpa agriculture. Beans are good companion plants to aubergines, carrots, cabbages, potatoes and radishes. Avoid growing beans too close to fennel or members of the Alliaceae family as their growth will be inhibited. Spraying with stinging nettle fertilizer is an effective way of strengthening your bean plants whilst keeping pests such as aphids at bay.