~ DRYING / SHELLING BEAN Seed~

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!

~ BUSH FRENCH BEANS FOR DRYING or SHELLING~

These are probably the simplest because you do not need to put up any supports and everybody knows how to grow French beans.

Nomadic Mix Bush drying beans - BREEDING POPULATION

A beautiful mixed breeding population of drying beans, selected by Holly Sylvester for growing in the UK climate. We grew these in 2025 and they did very well, giving us a amazing mix of dried beans for cooking.

The idea with a mixed breeding population (aka a "grex") like this is that it is incredibly diverse , so some of the sub-varieties in it have a chance to do well in widely different areas. People can then select the ones that do best in their own local conditions, to get their own locally-adapted version of it.

For dried seeds, not fresh pods. Keep and resow seed from the ones that do best in your local climate and soil.

Starter pack of 40 seed £

‘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. £

‘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. £

‘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 £

‘Einons Noir 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, where she has been selecting and breeding drying beans for wet climates, focussing on disease resistance and productivity.

Does very well for us, as it has been selected for Welsh conditions for years. Let us know how it does in your area!

45-50 seed, organic. £

‘Stregonta’ Stringless Bush Bean -DUAL USE!

An OUTSTANDING early bush borlotti bean from Italy, colourful pods with red stripes on a pale green background, ready in about 70 days from germination.

It is very quick to set, and the pods can be picked and the whole thing is stringless and delicious just like any french bean, a handful pictured here.

But then you can let them get bigger and use the seeds shelled out as fresh beans for cooking - when they have stong red spashes - just boil for 20 mins or so without soaking. Later the seeds dry to a darker tan colour for storage overwinter.

It's very unusual in that it is dual-purpose for fresh and drying/shelly use - excellent picked as a normal green bean , and then any that get bigger can be easten as seeds, which are delicious and so big that they go a bit square from being squeezed into the pods.

50 seed £

~ Climbing FRENCH BEANS FOR DRYING or SHELLING~

Make a tall wigwam and plant 2 beans per pole. You'll get a higher yield than with bush beans.

Goût de Chataigne d’Echenans Climbing Drying Bean

An ancient, beautiful variety with long green pods & blue-grey seeds with a subtle taste of chestnut. The seeds are absolutely stunning laid out to dry.

Usually eaten as dry or shelly beans but the immature pods can be eaten young as a French Bean before any strings develop.

Rare! Starter packet of 25 beans., organic. £

~ "Edame" or SOYBEAN Seed ~

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.

Growing is pretty easy. You can grow them under cover and they yield earlier, but we have had good results outdoors too. Pretend you are growing bush french beans & you won’t go far wrong:

We start ours in small pots or modules to avoid mice eating the seeds or birds pulling them up as they sprout. Once a few inches tall plant out 10 inches apart with about 18 inches between rows. Let the pods dry until brittle on the plants and it’s pretty easy to get the seeds out. In bad weather you’ll need to cut the plants and bring into a garage or greenhouse to dry.

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. £

~ TEPARY Bean Seed ~

Tepary Beans are an different bean species from western USA and Mexico dating to pre-Colombian times.
Grown for their dried beans rather than the pods, they are an ancient crop that can tolerate periods of drought.

Sacaton Brown Tepary bean

Small, flat golden brown beans for dry use, traditionally grown by Native Americans in the desert Southwest. Drought and heat tolerant, maybe a climate change crop?

** Small starter packet only, as very, very rare, save your own seed to bulk up **

40, organic. £