Topic: Kentucky Wonder Beans

[Alex133]

Have grown a load of these and now beans really large in the pods - can they be dried for eating and, if so, are they any good tastewise? (Packet had described as Wonder Wax and yellow but turned out to be green).

[plainleaf]

yes yes

[Digeroo]

I grew Kentucky Wonder Wax last year and was rather disappointed that they turned out to be a rather dull green.  Mine came from Johnson World Kitchen.  Very disappointing.   KWW are supposed to be a good flavour but if they are not coming up true then presume that the results may be a bit pot luck.

[Alex133]

Mine came from Johnsons too so must have been a bad batch, but I have read that the original Kentucky was green and sometimes known as Old Homestead. Didn't try eating the beans fresh just saving now for drying as there were so many of them it seemed a waste to chuck them. On the other hand no point in a load of tasteless dried beans but with Plainleaf's 'yes' seems worth a bash.

[Digeroo]

I have a great recipe for baked beans. 

Soak beans overnight in fridge and discard the water.  Fry an onion and some cooking bacon in the pressure cooker add tin of chopped tomatoes and a tin full of water.  Add veg:  carrots, celery, a good teaspoon ginger and another of mixed spice.  A shake of mixed herbs or the real thing if you grow them and anything else from the lottie such as a courgette.  Then cook for about 15 mins at pressure. 

Not sure the taste of beans in important when you consider the ginger and spice.

[artichoke]

"Boston baked beans" are wonderful. Google a recipe....and I have made them. It hardly matters what beans you use.

[galina]

Have grown a load of these and now beans really large in the pods - can they be dried for eating and, if so, are they any good tastewise? (Packet had described as Wonder Wax and yellow but turned out to be green).

Yes,  the seeds are fine for drying and using during winter.  I had Kentucky Wonder Wax from another source and they were yellow.  They weren't brilliantly healthy and I am selecting the best every time I grow them to get a better selection, but the beans are nice - yellow fleshy beans for eating as 'green beans'.  Not sure what was in the Johnsson packets, but everybody got green beans.  Sounds like a large scale mix-up.

Just to add because of the subject line, that normal Kentucky Wonder Beans are green, the yellow ones are called K W Wax.  There are also black seeded KW beans and white seeded KW beans.  And to top it all, they have bred a whole load of dwarf forms of the green KW type.  A very popular bean in the USA, but the KWWax and the other types are much rarer.  

Because KW is such a popular bean in the USA, it is a bit like Gardeners Delight tomato in the UK.  Every seed company seems to have selected out 'their' house type and they are all a bit different, even though they go by the same name.  It could possibly be that Johnsson have selected out a greenish type from the wide genetic drift that now exists in KW beans.  Makes naming them difficult - 'KWW Johnsson strain' should distinguish these from other established yellow strains.  

[plainleaf]

there several varieties of Kentucky wonder and in some case there have number next to them.
in many cases companies forget include number.
But i don't bother with either Kentucky wax or Kentucky wonder.  since I found provider or contender.
which are better producers  one a freezer the other better canner. at the moment  i forget which is best for which.
 
as for Kentucky wax and Kentucky wonder they both taste good but gardener's delight is not even worth growing.

[Digeroo]

It would seem that Johnsons have a green variety but it is a pity they have a picture of a yellow bean on their packet.

[galina]

as for Kentucky wax and Kentucky wonder they both taste good but gardener's delight is not even worth growing.

A general dismissal!?  Just like that?  Actually, they are delectable in the UK climate.  One of the best.  Move here for a season and try them, then dismiss them as not worth growing.  Unfortunately there are many components working to produce that magic ingredient 'flavour'.  Too much heat and sun (as you no doubt have) and the wonderful sugar/acid balance is ruined and an insipid, sweetish tomato results.  None of us can generalise and assume that our experience and what works/tastes good for us is universally applicable.  If only it were that easy ..........  ;D 

I love the green podded, tall, brown seeded Kentucky Wonder, also Blue Lake.  'Kentucky Blue' combines the best of both varieties.  Unfortunately the seeds of Kentucky Blue are hard to track down in the UK. 

[goodlife]

Code: [Select]

Actually, they are delectable in the UK climate Yep...I don't know what GD taste when its grow where PL is..but even that GD is common as 'muck' over here..I still think its flavour is really hard to beat.
I assume flavour argument would work other way round too..some that are flavourless here..may become their best when grown in different climate from ours.

[Digeroo]

I think that the soil can make quite a difference as well.  I grew gardeners delight in my previous garden and loved it but find it tasteless in my present one though they are less than a mile apart.  The lottie another mile or so is completely different again.  That is made of reclaimed land from gravel working and the soil is reputed to have come from the waste from the M4 motorway.   Every single allotment has soil which is different from the next.

[plainleaf]

goodlife the other reasob gd is common over there is it produce tomatoes  before it dies from blight.
As for good tasting tomatoes I could give you a list of great tasting varieties. But i doubt you all in the uk could grow them properly.
to bad some best UK tomato growers have gone to there rest. they might be helpful teaching you  to grow good taste tomatoes blight free. last heard there is still good smuggling    pipeline into the uk for the most  useful anti blight spray.

[goodlife]

Plainleaf...who says I cannot grow tomatoes..and taste is personal thing..what I find yummy is not same for somebody else.
Neither do I grow all UK varieties..I'v got plenty of varieties all over the world...but lets face it..cherry types are totally 'different' fruit then example beef type..you just cannot compare one for another.
As for growing blight free..well..without chemicals or/and environmental controls in closed GH..almost impossible job..if there is blight in the area there is not much to be done..

[anemone]

I grew the Johnsons ones this year. Most were yellow but with a distinct green tinge - not as yellow as the pic on the packet. However 1 of the 9 plants had completely green beans.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Blight's been a major problem the last few years, but after a dry, disease-fee year there should be less of it about next year. Apart from that, we can grow a wide range here.