Kidney beans
Red kidney beans belong to Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, in the Fabaceae family. This annual plant is grown for its seeds, rather than solely for the tender pods associated with green beans. Red beans range from lighter red shades to deep red. The familiar kidney-shaped outline gives kidney beans their name, although red common beans do not all have precisely the same dimensions or contours. Colour describes the grain rather than a separate botanical species.
The plant carries compound leaves with three leaflets and flowers characteristic of legumes. Following flowering, pods contain several seeds that gradually increase in size. Seed colour should not be confused with pod colour. Depending on the cultivar, the plant may have a dwarf, bushy habit or a climbing habit. This changes its appearance in the garden without changing its identity as a common bean. Different cultivars also vary in the time they take to develop.
A dried bean is hard, while a properly cooked bean becomes tender, often with a floury or creamy interior. Its mild flavour accompanies more strongly aromatic ingredients. You can find red beans in chilli, soups, stews, salads made with cooked beans, and dishes combining rice with vegetables. Their visible shape and colour give a dish additional character. Texture and the ability of beans to retain their outline after cooking can differ between cultivars.
In the vegetable garden, red beans illustrate the annual progression from a seed to a leafy plant, then flowers, pods and another generation of seeds. They offer a different use of the common bean from cultivars grown mainly for fresh pods. A red seed colour alone does not predict earliness or productivity. This diversity connects the appearance of the plant with the distinct qualities of its edible grains.
Never eat kidney beans raw or undercooked. Soak dried beans for at least five hours, discard the soaking water and use fresh water. Boil vigorously for at least 30 minutes, then continue cooking if needed until they are tender. A slow cooker alone is not suitable for cooking dried kidney beans.
Kidney beans
- Type : Vegetables
- Subtype : Seed vegetables
- Botanical Family : Fabaceae (papilionaceae / legumes)
Characteristics
- Lifecycle : Annual
- Exposure : Full Sun
- Frost Hardiness : Frost Sensitive
- Cultivation Difficulty : Easy
- Mature height : 40 cm
Sowing & Planting
- Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
- Sowing Depth : 3 cm
- Plant Spacing : 8 cm
- Row Spacing : 40 cm
Maintenance
- Maintenance : Low
- Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
- Soil Type : Humus-rich
- Soil pH Preference : Neutral
- Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
- Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
- Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
- Pollination : Self-pollinating
- Propagation : Sowing