[mashauk]

We were given loads of random beans by our Portuguese neighbours, some have come up as borlotti, some I have no idea (but like a smooth version of runner beans), and the other ones I'd love to ID but can't find out, they start off like the borlottis but then the pods go black and speckly and they don't fatten up as much as borlotti pods, any ideas?

[zazen999]

There's tons of different types of beans; what I would do is to take photos now and as they develop and of the beans once the pods have gone light brown and the beans are fully developed and post it so that some of us beanie addicts can try to identify it.

Or

Just give it a name yourself. I've bred 2 new beans from Pinto Bean quirks this year and I'll be naming it later; a bit of a bonus as one has gone from dwarf pinto to climbing.....with a different colour bean inside. Bonus!

[mashauk]

Thanks.  The pods don't go brown, they seem to go from green to black.  The thing is I'm not sure when to pick them anyway as how would I know that the beans have fully developed if I'm not sure what colour they should be?  Have been Googling like a mad un but can't find them, pretty sure they're Portuguese but that's all I know.  When I asked them they just shrug and say "beans"

[zazen999]

Ok, when they go crispy - it is usually brown but if they don't rattle in the pods they aren't properly ready.

[mashauk]

Thanks, I must admit I picked a handful and some of the borlottis and put them in a Tuscan bean soup (Delia recipe), it was lovely, but I'll hang off and leave the rest, I guess it doesn't really matter what variety they are so long as they taste good!

[mashauk]

This is a pic of one of them, not sure it will help in identifying though! I suppose really it's more of a purple than black.

[bonfire]

Looks like a bean to me.

[Veggie Virgin]

Any chance your beans could be black podded French beans and you have allowed them to grow on?  I grew such a bean this year (I was given a pack of seeds).  They start off being green when they are little and rapidly turn purply back.  I picked them really small and they were simply splendid.  I have now left some to grow up to big boys so I can have the beans for next year...