Dwarf Bean Creso with Butter and String

The Creso Dwarf Butter Bean produces well-rounded yellow straw pods about fifteen cm long that are eaten immature, similar to filet beans. Its tender and melting flesh is generally enjoyed by children, making it easy to teach them to appreciate beans. Butter beans, green beans, and snow peas can all be used in the same recipes. The Creso Bean is versatile in various culinary preparations. There are many ways to prepare them. Think of Italian, Indian, or Lebanese dishes that are enjoyed fresh. These recipes are ideal for summer harvests. It is also a variety well-suited for canning and freezing.
Sow from April to July for a harvest from June to September.

Whether consumed for its pod or its seed, the bean is a highly appreciated vegetable in gardens because it is very easy to grow. It is so punctual that the gardener knows the exact date when the first harvest will take place, which is 60 days after sowing.

Discovered in the New World and acclimated in Europe from the 16th century onwards, beans have now become an essential legume in all diets around the world. Native Americans cultivated beans for their dried seeds, but it was the Italians who, in the 18th century, initiated the consumption of the whole pod by harvesting it immature.
The bean is a vine with indeterminate growth. Primitive varieties are all climbing and require trellising. Later, for practical reasons, dwarf varieties were selected, but they all have tendrils that can wrap around a support.
The pods are generally green, sometimes yellow (butter beans), striped with red, or even amethyst. Among the varieties that are eaten when tender or extra tender, there are string beans that develop strings when fully ripe. Then the pod becomes parchment-like and loses its taste.
The snow pea is generally more fleshy and can be consumed entirely, both seeds and pods, even when fully ripe. The more recently created string - snow pea beans can be eaten when young and extra tender or when more fleshy like a snow pea because they do not form strings.

Among the shell beans (those where only the seeds are consumed), the harvesting of fresh beans is distinguished from that of dry beans, which takes place 90 days after sowing.

Immature green bean pods are rich in vitamins A, B9, and C, as well as trace elements and minerals. Dry beans are also rich in vitamin C, trace elements, and especially plant proteins.

Harvest: the harvest of fresh beans or young pods begins 60 days after sowing. For fresh beans, it should be done before the pods start to dehydrate and develop wrinkles. The beans should barely take on their colour. For pod consumption, harvest every 2 or 3 days when they are tender or extra tender for string beans. The harvest of dry beans is done by cutting the entire plant, which is then hung in a dry and well-ventilated place. The beans can be shelled as needed.

Preservation: freezing pods is the most common preservation method today. To do this, trim, wash, and blanch for 5 to 6 minutes in boiling water, then plunge into cold water and dry with a clean towel. Once placed in a bag, the beans can be stored in the freezer at -18°C (-0.4°F). However, canning is regaining popularity among an increasing number of consumers due to the taste qualities associated with this preservation method. Like freezing, trim, wash, blanch, and then immerse the beans in cold water. Put them in jars and fill them with salted boiling water. Close the jars and sterilise in a pressure cooker or with a steriliser for 1h30 over medium heat. Completely cover the jars with water after securing them properly.

Dry beans: when fully dry, bean seeds can be stored for up to a year if stored in good conditions, such as in airtight jars.

Gardening tip: beans, like all members of the Fabaceae family, have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air in the soil through plant-bacteria symbiosis. They have the ability to regenerate soils. Beans can be included in crop rotation after incorporating green manure.
Beans are low-nutrient-demanding plants. Traditionally, bean cultivation in Central and South America is associated with squash and corn, forming a beneficial triad. This association is locally called Milpa. Beans also pair well with eggplant, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and radishes as they protect each other. Avoid planting them near alliums or fennel as their growth will be inhibited.

A spray of nettle extract effectively controls aphid attacks and also strengthens the plants.