Amish Nuttle Bean Pbaseolus vulgaris is considered a Heritage Bean as well as being Slow Food’s Art of taste. Its said that it was grown and promoted by the Amish as early as 1802. 

However there is a bigger backstory on this bean..  It is said that the Seneca and Iroquois called it the Corn Hill Bean and the Seneca considered it one of their oldest beans.  It was said to be a ideal bean to be used in the three sisters system. “if anyone has more information on this bean in this regards, I would be more then willing to add it”

I got the seed stock for this bean many years ago now from Heritage Harvest Seeds, While I have read mixed information on their height on the net, they came to me listed as a pole bean and that is just what they grow as, I give them a 4 foot climbing set up, and I expect I could give them 5 feet as they are at times still reaching when settling down..  

What everyone agrees on is that they are a heavy producer and I will certainly agree with that,  Given they are a very fast dry bean on average 90 days from planting to harvesting dry use beans, they have a lovely med green good leaf cover with a crazy amount of flowers and they are just dripping with smaller pods..  the pods average 4 to 6 beans each.. 

The joy of these beans is that you only need to give that dried pod a twist and they crack right open to let the beans out.. I have other dried beans that are much harder to “shell” out in bulk.. where as these, once properly dried down can be done while watching a movie..  Twist, drop the seeds and move the pod over.. its pretty mindless and you can enjoy the show while keeping your hands working steadily.

For being a smaller bean, they are quite meaty.. not like a big bean can be meaty but its a nice firmer bean with great flavour and a good little bite to it..  While I am sure they are good as a pot of beans, they are used as a soup bean in our house and for that they are excellent. 

I have a lot of heritage beans and grow out both the bean and fresh bean stock every so many years of different kinds..  That is the case this year.. while a couple quart jars will be put up for soups, I will pick though the pile, running my hands though the beans and will select 50 seeds to go into seed storage.