LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - MAY 28, 2023 by Lynne Belluscio Calvin Keeney of LeRoy was the first person to develop a “stringless” bean. Everyone has heard of “string” beans, but the beans that we eat today are really “stringless” beans. Keeney began his work in the 1870s. He would walk through the bean fields and select beans that didn’t have as many strings. He would save the seeds from those plants, and then plant them in a small field in the middle of a corn field. Then he would select beans from those plants, looking for beans with fewer strings, and again repeat the process. After a while he was able to grow a stringless bean. Some of the beans were green beans and others were yellow beans. Ultimately, he developed seventeen different kinds of stringless beans which are listed in the book “Beans of New York” published by Cornell University. One of the most popular Keeney beans was the yellow pencil pod black wax. The beans were long and yellow, like a pencil, and the seeds inside were black and shiny. Keeney’s beans were sold by the Burpee Seed Company. Today the beans are considered an heirloom variety, and are still available. Beans cannot be planted until after the danger of frost is past and the ground is warm, which is usually after Memorial Day. So, if you would like to plant some of Keeney’s yellow pencil pod black wax beans, you can pick up seeds at the Woodward Memorial Library, or at the Town Hall at 48 Main Street, or the Village Hall at 3 West Main Street. Each packet has four or five seeds which you can plant directly in the ground. Or if you would like a small peat pot to start your seeds, there are some little kits that include a peat pot and some seeds. Make sure your seeds don’t dry out and plant them in a nice sunny place. After a few weeks, you will have some nice beans to eat. They are great cooked and served with a little salt and butter. When you pick up your seeds, there will be a couple of recipes that you can use. Calvin Keeney was very determined in spite of disaster. The building where he kept all his seeds, burned, and he had to start over collecting seeds. He also discovered that there was a blight that affected bean plants, and instead of growing his seeds here in LeRoy, he had to move the bean facility to Bozeman, Montana. Keeney joined with other seed growers and in 1927 formed ASGRO.– the Associated Seed Growers. Calvin Keeney lived in LeRoy at 13 West Main Street. He died in 1930 and is buried in Machpelah Cemetery. It has been tradition for the past couple of years, to plant beans in the planter next to the Keeney gravestone. Recipes for Yellow Beans Grandma’s Dill Beans from Liz Belina, of Seed Savers’ Exchange Ingredients 4 cups fresh yellow beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces 2 heads of fresh dill at the seed state Water to just less than to cover beans in pan 2 tablespoons flour, approximately 2 tablespoons butter, approximately ¼ cup white vinegar Salt and pepper to taste Directions Cook dill heads and beans in water until they are softened; do not drain. Make a roux by melting the butter in a small frypan. Add flour to the melted butter, stir mixture while toasting it to a light brown and whisk in vinegar; Remove the dill heads from the beans. Add small amounts of bean water to paste and cook until flour has thickened. Add paste to beans. This old family recipe has been passed down without being written down. It was made often in the summer to go along with panfish that Grandma would catch in the pond. Since she was a first-generation Bohemian, it is possible that this recipe comes from that region. Lemon Garlic Yellow Beans Ingredients 1 lb. fresh stringless beans, yellow or green, trimmed 2 tablespoons butter 3 garlic cloves, minced Juice of ½ lemon and lemon slices Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon of hot sauce ½ cup of vegetable stock Crushed red chili pepper flakes, optional ½ cup fresh chopped parsley 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves Parmesan shavings Directions Arrange beans in microwave safe dish with ½ cup of water. Cook in the microwave for 8 to 10 minutes until almost done. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add parsley, thyme, and garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and precooked beans and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring regularly until cooked to your liking. Add second tablespoon of butter and stir until melted to coat the beans; add lemon juice and rest of ingredients and reduce the sauce for a couple of minutes serve with parmesan shavings and fresh lemon slices. Cool Beans
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