Know your Pea bean

Know your Pea Bean - Introduction

- The Pea bean, Phaseolus aegypticus, is a brown and white half hardy bean that has been grown in England for over 400 years.
- Although the plant is called the pea bean, it is not a hybrid between a pea and a bean.
- Peas and beans do not hybridize and the pea bean is a separate species of bean, Phaseolus aegypticus.
- The plant was mentioned in Gerard's Herbal published in 1597 and is, in fact, one of the earliest of the half hardy beans to be cultivated in Europe.

- The pea bean is always easily recognised as the mature seeds are very distinctive - each one being half white and half a reddish, chestnut brown with small brown spots on the white part.
- Note that in in America there has been a white seeded cultivar given the name 'pea bean', which is obviously not to be confused with this, the original.
- In habit it is a climbing bean, more like a climbing French bean than a runner.
- Given suitable supports, sticks, string or netting, it will grow to some 180-210cm (6-7 feet).
- It is important to pinch the shoots back when they reach the top of the sticks, so that each vine will bush out.

- This is a bean that has a long history, although it was almost lost to cultivation for a long period, surviving only in out of the way places and gardens.
- It has now reappeared in a few seed catalogues and has been seen in exhibitions.

- In cultivation, the pea bean should be treated just as you would treat a climbing French bean.
- It is suggested that you sow seeds under cold glass in late April, planting them out some five or six weeks later.
- Alternatively, seeds can be sown where they are to grow at the beginning of May. Provided the soil has warmed germination is usually rapid, within ten to fourteen days.
- From an April sowing, the first beans should be ready to pick in early August - it is not as quick to mature as modern cultivars of French bean.
- The plants are reputed to prefer a light soil, but they do perfectly well on heavy clay as well.

- The beans can be harvested and then cooked in three quite distinct ways. In any of these three ways they are are delicious.

- As whole pods, lightly boiled or steamed, just as you would use French beans.
- For use as French beans do not pick them too young.
- They are at their best when the beans within are large enough to be felt, but before they get too large.
- Timing is critical - let them get too old and they become stringy very quickly.

- They can be harvested as fresh shelled beans (although they can be difficult to shell), and then cook them as you would cook peas and broad beans;

- They can be dried (and stored if needs be) as haricot beans.
- For use as haricots the pods are best left on the plant until they feel soft and floppy.
- They can then be picked, dried off completely and shelled before being stored in airtight containers.

- Although uncorroborated, it is reputed that the green pea beans are amongst the best of all beans for preserving by salting.
- It was described by the late Edward Bunyard, a noted gourmet, as the most delicious vegetable hardy enough to grow out of doors in Britain.