Description
(102 days) Open-pollinated. Pole bean. One of the very best baking beans that cook up creamy without disintegrating with a richer flavor than any other red bean I’ve ever tasted and are also a major protein source.
Inspired by a description of “Red Cranberry” in a 1700s gardening encyclopedia, legendary bean collector John Withee, after an 11-year search, finally obtained it from Mr. Taylor of Steep Falls, ME. The plump round maroon seeds without streaking look like Thanksgiving cranberries. True Red Cranberry is listed on Slow Food’s Ark of Taste. Soak seeds for 24 hours to aid germination.
The True Cranberry Bean is a very old bean that has been grown since colonial times and prior to that by the Native Americans of Maine. The bean is excellent as a shell bean or in its dry state. They are delicious in chili or other recipes that call for dry beans.
This bean variety is considered to have a creamy, chestnut-like flavor, low in fat, high in calcium, phosphorus and iron, and is 22% protein Like other coloured beans, True Red Cranberry Bean may contain more antioxidants and folate than all other beans.
In the growing season when the beans are still tender, they may be eaten as a vegetable removed from the pods. The reputation of beans causing gas in the intestines is quite true but pre-soaking and changing the cooking water twice will get rid of some of the indigestible complex sugars that cause the discomfort.
A useful trait of this variety is the ability to make good growth when planted in a corn field using the corn stalks as stakes.
Package Qty: 40 Seeds
Diane –
My favorite dry bean-dependable, productive, delicious. I first grew them because they’re just beautiful-round, shiny, deep red-but kept them around because of the flavor. They’re fine in chili but I prefer them by themselves. They hold their shape nicely when cooked and have such a rich, nutty flavor it’s a shame to overpower them with a lot of spice. Eat a bowl and you’ll feel nourished. It’s easy to see why it was favored by the Native Americans and included in the Slow Food Ark of Taste. The 8’+ vines need strong support but it’s a good plant-it-and-forget-it crop. Other than a little fertilizer and watering during dry spells, you plant them and let them do their thing until the pods are dry and it’s time to harvest. They produce until frost and in my US Zone 6a/5b garden any that drop to the ground volunteer readily. I’ve never soaked them prior to planting and they germinate just fine for me but I do keep the beds moist until they’re established. I will always plant True Red Cranberry. FWIW, the two dry beans tied for second place on my list are Good Mother Stallard (round, white with purply-red markings, creamy and good for soups) and Christmas Lima (gorgeous big white/deep red beans that are buttery without the lima-bean grittiness).
Beth Janvrin (verified owner) –
Great producer of beautiful beans!
Brenda (verified owner) –
Tasty, productive with excellent germination. Should be grown by everyone!
Angela Poirier –
They’re so beautiful when growing & so delicious!