Maine Yellow Eye Bean

[Whwoz]

This bean has recently come to my attention as one of the few taller bush/semi-climber varieties available here Down Under. What is not very clear is the best way to utilise them, as either a green snap. shelly or dried beans. Just wondering if anyone here has grown them and could enlighten me further. Particularly interested in them if they can be utilised as a green snap, which is our normal way of eating beans. Thanks.

[worth1]

Are these beans yellow like yellow wax.
I ask because I looked up pictures and got all manner of stuff.

[Whwoz]

image.png

The best way I can think of is to show you

[Tormato]

I've handled Maine Yellow Eye (sort of a generic term for yellow eye types), Steuben Yellow Eye (perhaps the oldest known yellow eye) and Kenearly Yellow Eye (bred in Canada, to be earlier and more uniform in maturity). I can't tell the difference between Maine and Steuben by looking at them. But, Kenearly has a much different looking eye compared to the others.

They are mostly used as dry beans, and sometimes as "shellies". I've yet to hear if anyone uses them as snaps/green beans. All beans that I grow, I at least sample as snaps. There usually is one reason or more, dry beans are listed as such. Either they quickly become fibrous, as pods grow, or the flavor of the snaps is generally bland. Sampling them is the only way that you will find out if they are any good as green beans. Record the pod lengths as they grow. Maybe something not full length will be tasty and tender. There is a much lesser chance of a tender pod when it gets full length, even before pods start to swell with enlarging seeds.

I have a cross (the seed is getting old) of Kenearly Yellow Eye, having pure white seed (no eye), on a half-runner plant. The one year grown, it was many times more productive than any of the bush dry beans that I've grown. However, I've yet to give dry bush beans the room and best sunlight that they need for their greatest potential.

[worth1]

image.png

The best way I can think of is to show you

I mean the immature bean pods like green beans.

[Whwoz]

image.png

The best way I can think of is to show you

I mean the immature bean pods like green beans.

Have not seen any photos. Googling images for yellow eye beans in general shows plenty of dry bean photos, one of dried pods and no fresh pods, so I assume that they are normally used dry. Thanks for the input folks

[Whwoz]

I have a cross (the seed is getting old) of Kenearly Yellow Eye, having pure white seed (no eye), on a half-runner plant. The one year grown, it was many times more productive than any of the bush dry beans that I've grown. However, I've yet to give dry bush beans the room and best sunlight that they need for their greatest potential.

Roughly how thick would the seed be @Tormato, there are several things I am thinking about that may help these migrate safely.

[Tormato]

I have a cross (the seed is getting old) of Kenearly Yellow Eye, having pure white seed (no eye), on a half-runner plant. The one year grown, it was many times more productive than any of the bush dry beans that I've grown. However, I've yet to give dry bush beans the room and best sunlight that they need for their greatest potential.

Roughly how thick would the seed be @Tormato, there are several things I am thinking about that may help these migrate safely.

Too thick for a plain envelope. They're about the same thickness as Maine Yellow Eye, but a bit shorter thus rounder.

As for Worth's question of fresh bean pod color, MYE are green. I cannot think of a single dry bean variety that has a yellow ("wax") fresh bean color. All are edible podded beans, although many could also be used as dry and shellies.

When I take an inventory of the collection for the MMMM, I'll look for the thinnest snaps (green beans) that I have. There might be some that can make it into a letter/greeting card. Perhaps in a PM you can tell me about safe migration.