Growing Beans: Planting a Piece of History

Beginnings are often fascinating. Exploring the origins of everyday fruits and vegetables can be eye-opening and deeply rewarding. Beans have been a staple for humans across the globe for thousands of years—from chickpeas in the Middle East and soybeans in Asia to lima and kidney beans in the Americas. Even when Columbus arrived in the New World, Europeans were already familiar with beans, yet he noted on November 4, 1492, near present-day Cuba, “they have faxones and fabas different from ours.” He was describing Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, and brought samples back across the Atlantic.

New World beans quickly entered European diets, though nobility considered them too common for refined palates. Commoners, however, embraced them as a vital protein source. Since kings and nobles owned the forests and fields—including the game within—poaching carried a death penalty, leaving peasants dependent on kitchen gardens for sustenance.

Legends and beliefs surround beans. Native Americans revered the bean as much as corn, and it’s ironic that these two life-giving foods complement each other perfectly: the amino acids lacking in beans are supplied by corn, and vice versa. Dishes like red beans and rice or white beans with cornbread form complete proteins, rich in fiber and other health benefits.

Many people worry about beans causing gas, but this is usually a temporary adjustment; regular consumption helps the body adapt within a few weeks. Interestingly, ancient Pythagoreans avoided beans, believing the gases released were the soul escaping—mathematically brilliant, but botanically wrong. Beans are a significant source of fiber, which helps flush cholesterol and regulate blood sugar, two critical needs in modern diets. Black beans are especially valuable, containing an indigestible fraction that aids colon bacteria in producing butyric acid, which slows sugar absorption and offers cancer-fighting phytonutrients akin to brightly colored fruits and vegetables.

Planting and Growing Beans

Plant beans after all danger of frost has passed in a full-sun location. Go easy on fertilizer, especially nitrogen; high nitrogen yields lush foliage but few beans. Bush beans need no support but tend to produce their harvest all at once. For a continuous supply, sow bush beans at two-week intervals. Pole beans produce long vines requiring support—traditional cane poles, fences, cattle panels, or decorative trellises work well. They bloom and set pods all season, providing a steady harvest. In both cases, pick immature pods for green beans or allow pods to dry on the vine for dried beans.

After harvest, I air-dry my dry beans for a week or two in flat pans before sealing them in containers (plastic ice cream buckets work perfectly). I then freeze the containers to kill any insects. When needed, I simply move a bucket to the pantry and scoop out the required amount.

With thousands of bean cultivars available from numerous vendors, try something new this year and surprise your family with a different variety. From beautiful heirlooms to reliable, heavy-yielding hybrids, there’s a bean to suit every taste.