Amaranth varities Grain amaranths, ‘Joseph’s Coat’ amaranth, and ‘Calaloo’ (or Chinese spinach) amaranth
AMARANTH
Amaranthus hypochondriacus, A. tricolor, A. cruentus, A gangeticus.
Amaranth, a valuable staple of the Aztecs and Southwestern tribes in ancient times, is finally being rediscovered. Some varieties are grown for their leaves; others produce edible seeds or grain.
How to grow: Amaranth glories in warm weather. Start amaranth seedlings after any danger of frost has passed. Plant seeds 1/8 inch deep, 4 inches apart, in full sun, in rich, well-drained soil. Keep seedlings fairly moist and thin to 1 foot. Generally, amaranth grows with great enthusiasm. The leaf types grow to 2 feet, some of the grain varieties to 6 feet. Cucumber beetles are occasionally a problem. Harvest the leaf types when they are quite young. Harvest the grain types after the first frost in the North; in mild-winter areas, wait until the heads begin to drop their seeds. Cut the tops and lay them on a tarp in the sun to dry for about a week; protect them against rain and heavy dew. Thresh the grain by laying the heads on sheets and doing the “tennis shoe twist”—standing on the heads and twisting and dancing on them—to knock the seeds free. Use an electric fan to separate the seeds from the lighter chaff as you pour them into a container.
Varieties
Grain Amaranths
‘Golden Giant’: 100 to 150 days, 6-foot-tall annual grown for its white grain and beautiful golden stems and seed heads, high yielding, leaves are also edible
‘Hopi Red Dye’ (‘Komo’): 100 to 120 days, 5- to 6-foot-tall, reddish purple plant traditionally used by the Hopi as a food dye, both the black seeds and young leaves are edible
Leaf Amaranths
‘Joseph’s Coat’: 70 days, a spectacular tricolor variety—red, cream, and green leaves, originally from India; leaf type, for garnishing
‘Merah’: 75 to 80 days, crinkled bicolored green-and-red leaves
How to prepare: Select young, tender leaves and shoots to use raw in salads. Or use young leaves from the leaf-type varieties as a substitute for spinach. The nutritious leaves are high in calcium and iron.
Amaranth grain has a mild and nutty flavor and is higher in protein than other grains. Amaranth flour contains no gluten, so it must be combined with wheat flour to make risen breads. The seeds can be popped like popcorn; stir ½ cup of seeds in a hot frying pan for about 30 seconds or until they pop. Mix the popped seeds with honey to create a traditional Mexican confection called alegria. The seeds can also be ground and added to breads.
BEANS
Snap Beans (string beans)
Phaseolus vulgaris
Lima Beans
P. limensis var. limenanus
Runner Beans
P. coccineus
The peoples of the Americas grew beans for thousands of years; explorers brought them back to Europe, where they became integrated into the cuisine, eventually becoming a staple in the Colonial diet.
How to grow: Most types of beans grow well in warm climates. Runner beans, however, produce best when the temperature stays below 80°F. Plant all beans after any danger of frost is past, in full sun, in soil with plenty of added organic matter. Sow the seeds of bush beans 1 inch deep in rows 18 inches apart. Thin seedlings to 2 inches apart. Pole beans need a strong trellis, put in place before planting, to climb on. Plant pole bean seeds 1 inch deep, 2 inches apart. Thin seedlings to 6 inches apart. If your soil is fairly fertile, no extra fertilizing is needed. If beans look pale midseason, fertilize with fish emulsion. They are best watered deeply and infrequently at the base of the plants.
Beans have their share of pests, including bean beetles, beanloopers, whiteflies, aphids, and cucumber beetles. Anthracnose and a number of leaf-spot diseases are most prevalent in humid climates.
Harvest snap beans when the seeds inside are still very small and the pods are tender. Make sure you pick all the young beans as they come along, or the plants stop producing. Harvest young runner bean pods for snap beans (the pods are usually larger than standard snap beans). Fresh shelling beans should be harvested when the pods fill out noticeably but before they get dry. If they get too mature, allow them to dry for winter use.
For dried. beans in rainy climates, drape whole plants over a crude drying frame or store them in the garage. In a dry climate, let the pods dry completely in the garden and harvest the whole plant. Once the bean pods are completely dry, separate the seeds from the pods. For a small batch, just shell the beans by hand. For larger harvests, cut a 6-inch hole in the bottom corner of a burlap bag and tie it closed with string. Put the plants in the bag, hang the bag on a branch, and beat it with a stick to loosen the beans from the pods. When most of the beans are free, hold a pan under the hole, untie the string, empty the beans into the pan, and remove the chaff. Repeat the process as necessary.
Beans from the Seed Savers garden
Clean the beans from the chaff; when the beans are completely dry, store them in a dry place in a container that will keep out bugs. To prevent weevils, first put the jars in the freezer for twenty-four hours to kill the eggs.
Heirloom beans at Seed Savers
Varieties
Hundreds of varieties of heirloom beans are available. The Vermont Bean Seed Company carries a large selection, and Native Seed-SEARCH carries Native American varieties.
Snap Beans
‘Blue Lake’: 62 days, pole, 6- to 8-foot vigorous and productive plant, sweet-tasting green pods
‘Cherokee Trail of Tears’: 90 days, 8-foot pole, prolific, purple-tinged pod, snap or dry beans, tradition says it was carried on the Trail of Tears forced march by the Cherokees from Georgia to Oklahoma during the winter of 1838-1839
‘Fin des Bagnols’ (‘Shoestring Bean’): 55 days, bush, 1880s, French heirloom filet, pick while very young, every 2 to 3 days
‘Hoffer’s Lazy Wife’: pole, stringless green pod; German and Pennsylvania heirloom; named for its ease of preparation
‘Hopi Purple String Beans’: purple with black crescent-moon-shaped stripes; can be grown with little or no irrigation
‘Kentucky Wonder’ (‘Old Homestead’): 68 days, pole, popular since the mid-1800s and is still great, plants are rust resistant
‘Trionfo Violetto’: 65 days, pole, stringless purple-podded Italian heirloom, vigorous vines, deep lavender flowers
Lima Beans
‘Christmas’ (‘Large Speckled Calico’): 100 days, pole, vines to 10 feet, 1840s, nutty-tasting white seeds with maroon spots, high yields, does well in hot, humid weather
‘Dr. Martins’: 100 days, pole, vines to 10 feet, about 1935, developed by a dentist in Pennsylvania, 5-inch pods with two to four huge beans each, plant when soil is warm
‘Jackson