Plant-based proteins from Canadian Heritage Beans
Edible legumes such as beans and peas are a reliable source of high quality protein. Food self-sufficiency and sustainablility are vital during this time of highly varying climate and weather extremes. Beans can be an important contribution to climate resilient diets and are easily grown across Canada.
Heritage Bean Varieties
Bean diversity, like that of potatoes, is great and much of it is maintained by backyard gardeners and small-scale growers in Canada and traditional farmers around the world.
Explore the amazing varieties of beans grown in Canada. We regularly add descriptions of our favourite varieties here, with tips on how to grow and use them.
Cranberry Bush Bean: Historic and productive
Richard Hebda Deep in the mists of time a beautiful bean arose probably in Europe from South American roots. Sometimes white and artistically speckled, sometimes a rich dark red, the Cranberry bush bean is among the most attractive dry beans. Recorded in the 1930’s by...
Tora-mame: Bean Beauty from Japan
Richard Hebda We are familiar with beans in Japanese cuisine such as the soy bean (Glycine max) as edamame and used for tofu and adzuki beans (mung bean=Vigna angularis). As you can tell by the botanical name neither of these are true beans which are technically in...
Cannellini Recipes
Mary Slanina, Victoria BC My mother and father came to Canada from Italy in the early 1950’s to Port Alberni, Vancouver Island. My mom was from a small hilltop village in the Campania region of Italy. My dad was from northern Italy. I grew up with traditional Italian...
Cannellini Bean: A Taste of Italy
The Mediterranean diet is highly touted as a way to live healthy and long. Beans are part of that diet and among them the white Cannellini bean is best known. You can buy Cannellini beans in the store in a can or dried. However, where the growing season permits, you...
Shuswap Red: Super Canadian Bean
Richard Hebda Small-seeded red beans are delicious! We have featured a couple of varieties in our crop-climate descriptions including Kashmir from India and the traditional Costa Rica Red variety. We introduce you to a highly productive small red bean developed and...
Dry Beans in Salmon Arm British Columbia: Six varieties for Hardiness zone 6b
Maureen and Paul Whitfield and Richard Hebda Bean trial beds of Maureen and Paul Whitfield, Salmon Arm British Columbia. Photo Maureen Whitfield. The Crop-Climate project gathers information on the success and failure of bean varieties in the different...
Hutterite Soup Bean: a high yielding heritage bean
Several communal religious settlements depend on raising their own food. Well known among these in North America are the Hutterites who have large communities in the prairies and plains of Canada and the US (https://hutterites.org/history/). Originally, from central...
Wiener-Treib: Saving Heritage Beans
A look at Wiener-Trieb, an early-maturing German heritage bean. See trial results for this short-season variety from Vancouver Island & the Sunshine Coast.
Doukhobor Discovery: “Koozen Drying Bean 2” an early bush bean from southeast British Columbia
Discover the story of the ‘Koozen Drying Bean,’ a rare Doukhobor heritage variety traced back to elder Tena Koozen of the Slocan Valley. Thanks to the dedicated seed saving and sharing by grower Dianne Luchtan, this robust and early ‘Talyanka’ bush bean, has been preserved. Learn about its history, unique growing traits, and its vital role in the peaceful, community-focused traditions of the Doukhobor people.
Nourishment and Peace: Soup, beans and gardens in the Kootenays of British Columbia
For over sixty years, Vera and Walter Kanigan have cultivated a garden in the Doukhobor community of Ootischenia. Discover the story behind their heritage ‘Talyanka’ pole beans and learn the traditional, century-old recipe for the hearty bean and potato soup that has nourished their community and represents a legacy of peace and self-sufficiency.