Dwarf mangetout butter bean Minidor

The Minidor Dwarf Bean is a variety of French bean that produces a multitude of very bright golden yellow pods, about fifteen centimetres long and very fleshy. This highly prolific variety is particularly hardy. The soft and melting flesh is generally liked by children, making it easy to get them to eat beans. Minidor is highly resistant to diseases and robust under the weight of its own abundant production. It can be sown from April to August and harvested from July to October.

Whether consumed for its pod or its seed, the bean is a highly appreciated vegetable in gardens, as it is very easy to grow. It is so reliable that gardeners know the exact date when they will have their first harvest, 60 days after sowing.

Discovered in the New World and acclimatised in Europe from the 16th century, the bean has now become an essential legume in diets all over the world. Native Americans cultivated it for its dried seeds, but it was the Italians who, in the 18th century, introduced eating the whole immature pod.
The bean is a vine with indeterminate growth. Primitive varieties are all climbing 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 usually green, sometimes yellow, striped with red, or even amethyst. Among the varieties that are eaten at the fine or extra fine stage, there are string beans that have filaments when ripe. Then, the pod becomes parchment-like and loses its taste.

The snap bean is generally meatier and can be consumed entirely, both the seeds and the pods, even when fully ripe. More recently created string - snap beans can be consumed when young at the extra fine stage, until they become meatier like a snap bean, as they do not form filaments.

Among the shelling varieties (i.e., those consumed only for their seeds), we can distinguish between the harvest of fresh beans and the harvest of dry beans, which is 90 days after sowing.

Immature green pods are rich in vitamins A, B9, and C, as well as trace elements and minerals. Dry beans are also 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 colour. For pod consumption, the harvest should take place every 2 or 3 days, both at the fine and extra fine stages for string beans. The harvest of dry beans is done by cutting the entire plant, which is then hung in a dry and airy place. They can be shelled as needed.

Storage: freezing is now 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 stored in the freezer at -18°C (-0.4°F). However, canning is regaining popularity among an increasing number of consumers due to the taste qualities inherent in this preservation method. Like freezing, remove the stems, wash and blanch the beans, then immerse them in cold water. Put them in jars and fill them with salted boiling water. Close 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 securing them well.

Dry beans: once fully dry, bean seeds can be stored for up to a year if kept in good conditions, such as in airtight jars.

Gardener's tip: beans, like all members of the Fabaceae family, can fix nitrogen from the air in the soil through plant-bacteria symbiosis. They are therefore capable of regenerating the soil. Beans can be included in crop rotation after green manure.
Traditionally, bean cultivation in Central and South America is associated with the cultivation of squash and corn, forming a companionable trio. This association is locally called 'three sisters'. Beans also associate well with aubergines, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and radishes, as they protect each other. Avoid planting them with alliums or fennel, as their growth will be inhibited.

A spray of nettle manure allows effective control of aphid attacks and also strengthens the plants.