Drying and Shelling Bean Seeds
Drying / Shelling beans are grown for the seeds to eat, not the pods.
They have been selected for maximal seed production and the pods are thin – they’re not the bit we eat. Instead they produce large yields of nutritious seeds which you shell out and cook either fresh or dried. Absolutely fantastic in soups and stews!
‘Einons Black’ Bush Drying Bean
A productive and resilient drying bean. Small tasty black beans ideal for chilies, soups & stews. A lovely variety given to us by Ann Owen of “Einion’s Garden” in mid Wales.
Did very well for us, as it has been selected for Welsh conditions for years.
45-50 seed, organic. £3.45
‘Jacobs Cattle Gold’ Bush Drying Bean
A beautiful gold/white splotched bush bean, named after Jacobs cattle in the Bible. The original stock for this variety was obtained from the Passamaquoddy people of Maine - it is a widely adapted variety for dry bean seed production, and yields can be exceptional. Great winter staple for soups and chilli. When we first got this, there was just one commercial seed grower left, and he has now stopped producing it. So we are maintaining what we can when there is room in our production schedule, with a just few small 'starter packets' available each year. If you like it, do consider saving your own seed to help keep this heritage variety alive.
Beautiful drying beans with a delicious flavour, does well for us in Wales.
small packet - rare - approx 40 seed, organic. £3.60
‘Jacobs Cattle’ Bush Drying Bean - NEW FOR 2025!
We are so excited to offer this again for the first time in twenty years. This is the original red version of Jacobs Cattle Bean from the Passamaquoddy people of Maine - a reliable and widely adapted variety for drying beans, with high yields. Use them overwinter dried for soups, stews, chilli or whatever you like. Such a beautiful bean!
The original strain, grown for us organically in the USA. Import was very difficult to arrange due to the UK's new Brexit seed rules, so do save your own seed for future use.
40 seed, organic. £3.59
‘Taylors Dwarf Horticultural’ Bush Drying Bean
This is a drying bean from USA in the early 1800’s with pods that have quite pale red stripes on a cream background. One of the beans that fueled American prairie cooking at the time, it makes excellent refried beans (add some of our locoto chilli pepper for extra kick!) or baked beans, as well as soups and stews.
It has a reputation for being quite reliable , tolerating brief wet and cold spells better than one would expect.
50 seed £2.78
‘Yin Yang’ Bush Drying Bean
These are so beautiful we had to add them to the catalogue! An excellent dwarf bean for baking, casseroles and soups. Extremely productive 15" tall plants are widely adapted and make beautiful black & white beans.
Although really for drying, can be picked very young as a green bean.
about 40 seed £3.35'Edame' or Soybean Seeds
We have found a variety that does grow in the UK!
Soybeans are delicious when shelled out young and tender and boiled , served with a little butter and salt, or put in soups, stews etc.
It is the bean seeds you eat – ‘edame’ – not the pods.
Gaia Soybean
A new short-season edame soybean - gorgeous black seeds, which - dependent on weather - often form a a thin emerald stripe up the edge. A great dual purpose variety - as tender and tasty as any green edamame when cooked fresh, but also can be dried.
Bred from a single plant discovered by Owen Bridge of Annapolis Seeds in 2010, we grow just a few packets each year.
45 seeds, organic. £3.20