Black Turtle Beans
(Phaseolus vulgaris)
A bush bean grown for shelling, both demi-sec and dry. Pinky-purple flowers are followed by small pods which slowly develop a lilac hue. Demi-sec pods pull apart easily when properly mature - keep testing to discover when this stage is reached as they quickly dry off soon after. As a rule pick when most of the bush has defoliated and some of the pods have started to dry. For ease of harvest uproot the whole bush, hold upside down and strip off the beans, discarding any late-developed ones that are still green. Demi-sec beans have softer skins than dried, they don't need to be pre-soaked and they cook more quickly too.
Dorothy's
Black Bean Soup
1 lb450 gr black beans
2 onions, chopped
1 garlic clove
Few bay leaves
Ham hock, smoked
2-3 tsp salt (season to taste after cooking)
"Soak beans overnight - wash & drain. Put all ingredients, except salt, in cookpot - cover with water - bring to boil - lower the light and simmer. I cook about 4 hours - add water when necessary - refridge overnight. Next day heat and add whatever your taste buds tell you - it keeps and freezes"
" ... one of my favourites" says Dorothy
Black Bean Mash
Toss demi-sec beans into a wide pot with just enough water to cover, bring to the boil then simmer with the lid on till soft - 20 minutes or so. Remove lid, turn up heat and drive off liquid, stir to prevent burning, then remove when the remaining liquid starts to sizzle, but retain a little liquid - don't dry it out totally. Stir in salt & tabasco to taste at end or add a dash of soya & fish sauces when reducing.
The black in their skin is water-soluble. If you boil then drain black beans you are left with something rather grey, hence their traditional use in soup.
Bean Terms:
(an arbitrary list)
"Dried Bean" - two types, either pod
or seed
"Shell Bean" - a variety grown for its large seed
, either fresh or dried, rather than its green pod
"Demi-Sec Bean" - semi-dry
shell bean: the pod is picked when fully developed & just starting to wilt,
though the seed is still full-sized and the pod is still soft
"Green Bean" - a variety grown for its unripe pod
rather than its seed
"Horticultural Bean" - dual purpose variety grown both for pod
and seed
, thus giving two harvest periods
"French Bean" - thin, round-podded
green beans, generally bush-type: also known as haricot vert or filet
"Flat Bean" - broad, flat-podded green beans, both bush and pole types: also known as Italian or Romano
"Snap Bean" - bean pods which don't develop stringy vascular bundles, most bush and some pole varieties
"String Bean" - 'strings' are lignified vascular bundles, found in most pole bean pods
"Runner Bean" - pods of Phaseolus coccineus
, a perennial usually grown as an annual,
though some climbing Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) are also called this
"Pole Bean" - climbing bean grown up poles
, the pods form over extended period (indeterminate)
"Bush Bean" - non-climbing dwarf
bean, the pods form all at the same time (determinate)
