Dwarf Bean for Shelling Soissy

The Soissy dwarf shelling bean is a particularly successful improvement that combines the two types Soissons and Mogette. This very hardy variety produces well-filled light green pods measuring 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10in) when ripe. When they reach this size, they can be harvested. Soissy is cultivated for its white, kidney-shaped seeds with a very fine skin and can be consumed fresh, dry, or semi-dry in salads, stews, soups, or creamy textures. It remains firm and will not burst if cooked over low heat. The pods are harvested as soon as they noticeably turn yellow for consuming the fresh or semi-dry beans. Wait until the pods are completely parched and dry for harvesting dry beans. Then uproot the plants and let them dry in a well-ventilated, cool, and dark place. You can then use them as needed.
Perform your sowing from April to July to harvest from August to October.

Whether consumed for its pod or its seed, the bean is a highly appreciated vegetable in gardens because it is very easy to grow. It is so punctual that the gardener knows the exact date when they will harvest their first crop, which is 60 days after sowing.

Discovered in the New World and acclimated in Europe starting from the 16th century, the bean has now become an essential legume in all diets around the world. Native Americans cultivated it for its dried seeds, but it was the Italians who, in the 18th century, initiated the consumption of the whole pod by harvesting it immature.
The bean is a climbing plant with indeterminate growth. Primitive varieties are all pole beans and require trellising. Later, for practical reasons, dwarf varieties were selected, but all of them have tendrils that can wrap around a support.
The pods are generally green, sometimes yellow (butter beans), streaked with red, or even amethyst. Among the varieties that are eaten at the fin or extra fin stage, there are string beans that develop filaments when mature. Then the pod becomes parchment-like and loses its taste.
The snap bean is generally fleshy and can be consumed entirely, both the seeds and the pods, even when fully ripe. The more recently created stringless - snap beans can be consumed when young and extra fin until they become more fleshy like a snap bean because they do not form filaments.

Among the shelling bean varieties (where only the seeds are consumed), we distinguish between harvesting fresh beans and dry beans, which is 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, trace elements, and especially vegetable proteins.

Harvesting: the harvest of fresh beans or young pods begins 60 days after sowing. For fresh beans, it must be done before the pods start to dehydrate and develop wrinkles. The beans should barely take on their color. For pod consumption, harvest every 2 or 3 days when they reach the fin and extra fin stages for string beans. Harvesting dry beans is done by completely cutting the plant, which is then suspended in a dry and well-ventilated place. They can be shelled as needed.

Storage: freezing pods is currently the most common method of preservation. To do this, remove the stems, wash the pods, blanch them for 5 to 6 minutes in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water before drying them with a clean cloth. Once placed in a bag, the beans can be placed in the freezer at -18°C (-0.4°F). However, canning is regaining its popularity for an increasing number of consumers due to the taste qualities associated with this preservation method. Like freezing, remove the stems, wash and blanch the beans, then immerse them in cold water. Place them in jars and fill them with salted boiling water. Seal the jars and sterilize them in a pressure cooker or with a sterilizer for 1 hour and 30 minutes over medium heat. To do this, completely cover the jars with water after securely closing them.

Dry beans: when properly dried, bean seeds can be stored for up to a year in airtight containers, for example.

Gardener's tip: beans, like all members of the Fabaceae family, have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air in the soil through a plant-bacteria symbiosis. They therefore have the ability to regenerate soils. Beans can be included in crop rotation after burying green manure.
Traditionally, bean cultivation in Central and South America is associated with the cultivation of squash and corn, forming a beneficial triad. This association is locally called Milpa. Beans also associate well with eggplants, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and radishes as they protect each other. Avoid the presence of alliums or fennel as their growth is inhibited.

A spray of nettle manure effectively fights aphid attacks and strengthens the plants that benefit from it.