Turkey Craw bean
$4.00
(Phaseolus vulgaris)
Pole, 8-10’/2.6-3 m tall. A lovely bean with a buttery texture similar to pinto beans. Originally from the Cumberland Gap region between Virginia and Kentucky, they sometimes show that they are far from home by being a little late-maturing, but they still produce abundantly here. The name refers to the story of their origin: a hunter (who may have been a slave, the details are lost to history) shot a turkey, and apparently found this bean in its crop, or craw, when cleaning it. There are a number of different bean varieties with similar stories; either this is a remarkably persistent falsehood, or those geese and turkeys are making off with more of our beans than we give them credit for! 100 days to maturity. 30 seeds/packet.
In stock
Plant after last frost; soil must be warm or seed will rot. Sow 1” deep. Space pole beans in pairs 8” apart, with 8” between pairs if climbing twine, or in groups of 3-4 around single poles 1’ apart. Pick dry beans when pods are fully dry; seed must be dry enough to not dent with a fingernail for storage. Dry beans can be further dried on a tarp, then threshed by dancing on them and winnowing away the chaff.