Anasazi "Cave" Pole Beans, Phaseolus vulgaris, USDA Organic
Annual. 50 to 60 days. This is a 1,700 year old heirloom cultivar. The original stock for these beans were discovered by modern paleontologists about 100 years ago, sealed with pine tar, inside an ancient clay pot in a high desert cave in the Four Corners area of the American Southwest. This ancient Native American 'cave bean' turned out to be a vigorous pole bean that produces flattened green beans. It can be eaten fresh, or used as a dried bean if allowed to age on the vine. Grown in Colorado at nearly 7,000 ft. Anasazi is a Navajo term meaning 'ancient ones,' or early Native Americans who were cliff dwellers dating back to about 130 AD.
The beans are similar to pintos, but taste sweet and creamy, and they cook up to a smooth texture. They cook a bit faster than modern dry beans, and are about 75% less gassy. A Mexican spice, epazote, is often cooked with beans to add flavor and to lessen gassiness.
NSS/AMill