Cranberry Pole Beans

Use heirloom cranberry pole beans for baking and soups.

When mature, red cranberry beans resemble ripe cranberries. Some varieties have creamy-white seeds and pods with red specks. A type of heirloom dry bean, cranberry pole beans originated in Maine and were used by the Abnaki Indians.

Growing Conditions

Cranberry pole beans are a warm-season vegetable. They prefer well-drained soil with a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit or greater. The optimum pH is 5.8 to 7.0. The bean plants do not tolerate frost.

Planting

Cranberry pole beans climb trellises. Plant five or six seeds 1 to 2 inches deep in a circle at the base of a 6- to 8-foot trellis. A teepee tripod trellis is one design. An alternative is to plant the seeds 4 to 8 inches apart in rows 24 to 36 inches apart. Use sturdy trellises that can withstand rain and wind. Provide adequate water and a 10-10-10 fertilizer.

Harvest

Cranberry pole beans require about 60 days to reach maturity. Harvest pods when they are dry and yellow. Crack open the pods and remove the beans. Store the dry beans in a jar.

References

• Virginia Cooperative Extension; Beans; Diane Relf, et al.; May 1, 2009
• Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center: Three Sisters
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Cooking With Dry Beans; Alice Henneman
• University of Minnesota Extension: Fieldbeans