appreciating 'shelly' beans

[pippimac]

This is my first season of purposefully growing beans to shell and dry.
I've let the last of the scarlet runner beans mature, I had some last year and they were delicious.
What I'm really looking forward to are 'George's beans': big, fat, white things like enormous cannelini beans, but they're runners. The pods are at least 30cm long and I admire them daily!
Does anyone in a temperate climate have a named (but no 'Georges' please...) bean that they find especially tasty and productive? I'm going to get serious about drying beans next season.

[mischief]

Those sound fantastic.
I let some of my painted lady and purple kings run to seed to see if they grew as big as the packet seeds which they did.
They dont have the same length of pod though and are strippy/speckled.
Yours sound much nicer and bigger.
Any chance I could get some from you in exchange for something else ?
I've got some Pole Lima beans that were supposed to grow big fat things but I think I grew them in a spot that was too well fed this year, which has made them grow lots of leaf instead of beans.

[pippimac]

When George's beans are ready, I'll pm you mischief.
I put them in poor soil and pretty much ignored them. I do love a veggie that thrives on neglect!
I'm all for exchanging seed. I'm keen on anything really. Interesting lettuce...Tender beets...Tasty tomatoes...

[eco4560]

Madagascar beans. They are really pretty too!

[hardworkinghippy]

I've never even heard of the beans you're talking about !

I grew my first "keeping" beans last year - a bean called "Trail of tears" and was really surprised how many beans are produced by one plant.

I got six seeds from a friend, they all sprouted quickly and grew fast with new watering (except when I planted them) in a hugelkulltur bed.

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I tried some of them in cooking and they were a bit bland but that could be because I'm not used to cooking with beans - but it's something I need to learn. I had these left over and I gave some away and I've planted the rest. I hope to have a few kilos at the end of the summer.

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What would you say was the best-tasting bean ?

[pippimac]

hwh, I should have been clearer: I have no idea what 'George's beans' are really called, that's just the guy's name who gave them to my mother, who gave them to me, then I'll give some to mischief...
I just realised my scarlet runners have probably crossed with these, so I make no claims about their genetic purity!
I've heard about 'trail of tears' and they look beautiful. Do they cook up black?
I add a good amount of salt to the water after beans come off the heat (never while cooking or they'll be tough) and let them sit for a few minutes before draining. Dried beans I've eaten always have a pretty 'subtle' flavour.
I want to grow as many highly nutricious, storeable plants as I can. So far, potatoes, beans and broad beans (favas) are my main candidates. I think broad beans are generally underapreciated!
There's so many amazing looking beans out there.
I'm off to find out if Madagascar beans grow round here...
Looks like a no on the Madagascar beans.