Dwarf Bean for Shelling Impero Bianco

The Impero Bianco Shelling Bean is a dwarf variety derived from the Italian Cannellini Bean, renowned as an ingredient in Minestrone soup. It produces a yellow pod similar to that of a butter bean, containing 5 to 6 beautiful ivory seeds. Only the seeds are consumed, either fresh or dried. This bean becomes very creamy when cooked and has a delicious nutty flavor. It can be enjoyed in salads, stews, or smooth purées.
The plants average about 50 cm (20in) in height and 30 cm (12in) in width, and offer an abundant harvest. It is a late variety that you will sow from March to July and harvest from June to September.

Whether consumed for its pod or its seed, the bean is a highly appreciated vegetable in gardens because it is very easy to cultivate. It is so punctual that the gardener knows the exact date when it will be ready for the first harvest, which is 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 immature pod.
The bean is a vine plant with indeterminate growth. The primitive varieties are all vine plants and require support. Later, for practical reasons, dwarf varieties were selected, but they all have tendrils that can wrap around a support.
Pods are generally green, sometimes yellow (butter beans), striped with red or even amethyst. Among the varieties that are eaten at the "fin" or "extra fin" stage, there are the vine beans that develop filaments when ripe. Then, the pod becomes parchment-like 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 - mangetout" beans can be consumed when young, at the "extra fin" stage, until they become more fleshy like a snap bean, as they do not form filaments.

Among the shelling varieties (where only the seeds are consumed), the harvest of fresh seeds differs from the harvest of dry seeds, which occurs 90 days after sowing.

Immature green pods are rich in vitamins A, B9, and C, as well as trace elements and minerals. Dry beans are also rich in vitamin C, trace elements, and especially vegetable proteins.

Harvesting: The harvest of fresh seeds or young pods begins 60 days after sowing. For fresh seeds, it must be done before the pods start to dehydrate and wrinkle. The seeds should barely take on their color. For consuming the pods, the harvest should take place every 2 or 3 days, both at the "fin" and "extra fin" stages for the snap beans. The harvest of dry seeds is done by cutting the whole plant and hanging it in a dry and ventilated place. They can be shelled as needed.

Preservation: Freezing the pods is currently the most common method of preservation. To do this, you need to remove the ends, wash them, blanch them for 5 to 6 minutes in boiling water, and then plunge them into cold water before drying them with a clean towel. Once packaged, the beans can be placed in the freezer at -18°C (-0.4°F). However, canning is regaining popularity among an increasing number of consumers due to the taste qualities inherent in this preservation method. As with freezing, remove the ends, wash and blanch the beans, then immerse them in cold water. Put them in jars and fill 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 securing them properly.

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

Gardener's tip: Beans, like all legumes, have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air in the soil through a plant-bacteria symbiosis. They have the ability to regenerate the soil. Beans can be included in crop rotation after burying green manure.
Traditionally, bean cultivation in Central and South America is associated with squash and corn, forming a beneficial triad. This association is locally called Milpa. Beans also associate well with eggplants, carrots, cabbages, potatoes, and radishes, as they protect each other. However, avoid planting them near alliums or fennel, as their growth is inhibited.

A spray of nettle manure effectively combats aphid attacks and strengthens the plants that benefit from it.