Anyone in North Carolina know...

justsam · Postby **justsam** » May 19th, 2009, 4:03 am

What an October bean is? When my Grandmother (Gladys McNabb) moved from Cherokee County to Washington State she brought some with her and planted them every year in her garden. Whenever I would visit she would get a caned jar out and warm them up and cook some cornbread. The other day I was thinking about how much I missed letting my slice of cornbread soak up the juice from the beans.

God Bless You- Sam Smith

fezzik · Postby **fezzik** » May 19th, 2009, 9:32 am

http://www.cherrygal.com/beanbushoctoberheirloomseeds2008-p-4985.html

macgulley · Postby **macgulley** » May 19th, 2009, 10:14 am

I'm not in North Carolina but my grandparents grew October beans in North Alabama when I was growing up. They would break some like green beans and shell some and cook them all together. If I recall correctly, the more immature beans were the ones you broke, the mature beans were called "shellies" and you opened the skin to get out the beans. Haven't had any in a LOOOOOONG time.

rjc · Postby **rjc** » May 19th, 2009, 11:13 am

My parents were from East Tennesse and Mother would shell and cook these beans with pole beans but she called them cranberry beans. I noticed a few years ago that they were not in the store very often. Just last weekend I found some seeds called Dragon Tongue beans that look like the beans we used to get. I'm going to plant them and see if they are the same.

Jennifer Smith · Postby **Jennifer Smith** » May 19th, 2009, 3:11 pm

macgulley wrote:I'm not in North Carolina but my grandparents grew October beans in North Alabama when I was growing up. They would break some like green beans and shell some and cook them all together. If I recall correctly, the more immature beans were the ones you broke, the mature beans were called "shellies" and you opened the skin to get out the beans. Haven't had any in a LOOOOOONG time.

Well I for one want nothing to do with immature beans!

free · Postby **free** » May 19th, 2009, 4:54 pm

Would that be a beanie baby? :lol:

Postby **Shellie** » May 20th, 2009, 12:26 am

rjc,

I, too, have heard them called cranberry and october beans. October beans by the country folk and cranberry beans by the stores. Sweetbay carries cranberry beans. They are more expensive than pintos or navy beans, but I have two bags sitting in my pantry right now.

rjc · Postby **rjc** » May 20th, 2009, 1:34 pm

Shellie wrote:rjc,

I, too, have heard them called cranberry and october beans. October beans by the country folk and cranberry beans by the stores. Sweetbay carries cranberry beans. They are more expensive than pintos or navy beans, but I have two bags sitting in my pantry right now.

Shellie, that's great but I'm not familar with Sweetbay, can you tell me about it?

RuSKY · Postby **RuSKY** » May 20th, 2009, 3:49 pm

Most Amish/Mennonite bulk food stores in this area carry Cranberry Beans.

The local people in our area of south central Ky. call another
bean, an October bean. It is a stick bean and used as a green snap
bean. The seed are buff to light brown in color, and not speckled like the
Cranberry bean. I have raised them and they are delicious.

RuSKY

Jude 2