[superpete]

Hi, I'm new here (I live in the midlands, am friendly, have two allotments and am a compost nut)... 

A friend has asked me where he can get the proper seeds to grow for his chilli. But what are they? As far as I've been able to find out they are what we call collectively - French Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris. And while I'm sure my friend could use seed of runner bean -  Phaseolus coccineus - or any bean I guess, I thought it would be interesting to try a bit of research.
 
From wiki: Kidney beans and other beans such as pinto beans, navy beans and black beans are known scientifically as Phaseolus vulgaris. They are referred to as "common beans" and they all derived from a common bean ancestor that originated in Peru. Red kidney beans are universally used in New Orleans and much of southern Louisiana for the classic Monday Creole dish of red beans and rice. They are a common ingredient in chili con carne. The alubia pinta alavesa, or the "Álava pinto bean", is a red variety of the pinto bean (also used a lot in con carne)

So does anyone really know a good one that's readily available from somewhere?   

[mumofstig]

Try here

Organic gardening catalogue

Can't say if it's good or not, but i noticed the seed the other day

[Ice]

Superpete.  A good bean that is readily available from everywhere is a tin of red kidney beans from the supermarket.

Have to admit I am a bit confused by your first post.

[superpete]

Ice, I'm sorry, I try so hard to compose these things right I know they end up sometimes looking a bit convoluted - I wanted to know which bean to grow for a crop of seed to harvest, in order to make said con carne - and ... where to get it. I've been looking some more and I think its got to be the variety Dark Red Kidney Bean - mumofstig's link is the sort of thing (thankyou mos) but I think my friend might end up buying some dry red bean seed from a grocers and see how it goes.

[peapod]

I shove baked beans in mine 

[mumofstig]

I shove baked beans in mine 

I used to when the kids were at home..it made it somehow more child friendly Now it's just for me (all say ah!) I'm back to red kidney beans

[zazen999]

Canadian Wonder are the type of Red Kidney Bean seeds if you want to use kidneys.
Pinto are the real beans that you put into chilis; they are also used for refried beans...they are pink with brown freckles.

However, I bought a bag of mixed bean soup from New York in April, and sowed all the beans from it. the red ones have come up a treat and have provided me with 3 different sized red beans.....and my pintos that I grew last year have rogued and provided me with 3 different colour pintos.

Lovely jubbly.