Common bean Cupidon

The 'Cupid' F1 French Bean is preferably consumed when young, at the extra fine to fine stage. The pods measure up to 15 to 20cm (6 to 8in), are very thin and green, and contain beige grains veined with brown. This variety, which does not develop strings, can also be harvested later. With excellent taste, the pods can be prepared as mangetout beans.

With a very delicate flavour, they can be used in various culinary preparations. There are many ways to enjoy green beans. Italian, Indian, and Lebanese recipes, for example, are best enjoyed when fresh. This is ideal during summer harvests. It should be noted that Cupid freezes very well.
This is a very vigorous variety that is resistant to diseases. Cupid French bean plants can be sown from April to July for a harvest from July to October.

Whether consumed for its pod or its seed, the bean is a highly appreciated vegetable in gardens because it is very easy to grow. It is so punctual that the gardener knows the exact date when the first harvest will take place, 60 days after sowing.

Discovered in the New World and acclimatized in Europe from the 16th century onwards, the bean has now become an essential legume in diets all over the world. Native Americans cultivated it for its dried seeds, but it was the Italians who, in the 18th century, introduced the consumption of the whole pod by picking it immature.

The bean is a vine with indeterminate growth. Primitive varieties are all climbers and require support. Later, for practical reasons, dwarf varieties were selected, but all of them have tendrils that can wrap around a support.

The pods are usually green, sometimes yellow (butter beans), streaked with red, or even amethyst. Among the varieties that are eaten at the fine or extra fine stage, there are the string beans, which develop strings when ripe. Then the pod becomes parched and loses its taste.

The snap bean is generally more fleshy and can be consumed entirely, both the seeds and the pods, even when fully ripe. The more recently created filet - snap beans can be eaten when young, at the extra fine stage, or until they become more fleshy like a snap bean because they do not form strings.

Among the shell beans (those whose seeds are consumed), there is a distinction between harvesting fresh beans and harvesting dry beans, which takes place 90 days after sowing.

The immature green pods are rich in vitamins A, B9, and C, as well as trace elements and minerals. Dry beans are also very rich in vitamin C, trace elements, and especially plant proteins.

Harvesting: The harvest of fresh beans or young pods begins 60 days after sowing. For fresh beans, it should be done before the pods start to dehydrate and develop wrinkles. The beans should barely have taken on their colour. For pod consumption, the harvest should take place every 2 or 3 days, both at the fine and extra fine stages for string beans. The harvest of dry beans is done by completely cutting the plant, which is then hung in a dry and airy place. The beans can be shelled as needed.

Storage: Freezing pods is currently the most common method of preservation. To do this, trim, wash, blanch for 5 to 6 minutes in boiling water, then plunge into cold water before drying with a clean cloth. Once placed in bags, the beans can be stored in the freezer at -18°C (-0.4°F). However, canning is regaining popularity among an increasing number of consumers due to the inherent taste qualities of this preservation method. Like freezing, trim, wash, blanch, and then immerse the beans in cold water. Then place them in jars, filling them with salted boiling water. Close the jars and sterilize them in a pressure cooker or with a sterilizer for 1 hour and 30 minutes over medium heat. To do this, completely cover the jars with water after sealing them tightly.

Dry beans: When fully dry, bean seeds can be stored for up to a year if kept in good conditions, such as in airtight jars.

Gardener's tip: Beans, like all members of the Fabaceae family, have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air into the soil through a plant-bacteria symbiosis. They have the ability to regenerate soils. Beans can be included in crop rotation after burying green manure. Beans are not very demanding in terms of nutrients. Traditionally, bean cultivation in Central and South America is associated with the cultivation of squash and maize, forming a triad with positive companionship. This association is locally known as Milpa. Beans also associate well with eggplants, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and radishes, as they protect each other. Avoid the presence of alliums or fennel, as their growth is inhibited.

Spraying with nettle manure effectively combats aphid attacks and strengthens the plants that have benefited from it.