First pick (of many to come) of Madagascar beans for storage. Fresh picked in a green pod, they are white, like big lima beans, and we have been eating them for a while like that. But as they mature and dry they develop this lovely maroon mottled colour, look very decorative in a jar on the shelf, last for years. Cooked they turn pink and taste pretty much like a lima bean. They go well in bean patties for burgers, and in soups, stews, dips, patés and spreads (If you don’t usually cook with dried beans, there’s a bit about storing and cooking beans in this post – Bean Basics).
There are two parts to getting yield enough for a healthy diet from a home garden. One part is micronutrients – vitamins and minerals, the other part is macronutrients – carbohydrates and protein. In a small, urban garden, the first part is easier than the second. Thinking of crops that will yield sufficient calories to feed a family in a food crisis is a bit of a challenge. I can grow some amaranth, corn, and quinoa, but grains as a staple – nah. In my subtropical climate, I’m looking at bananas (including plantain), cassava, taro, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, yams and beans as storable calories, and these Madagascar beans look like becoming a mainstay of the system. They dry and store well so they’re a great staple, storable protein. One of my zombocalypse essentials.
Madagascar beans are a tropical semi-perennial bean – they kinda take the niche occupied by seven-year beans (aka scarlet runner beans) in more temperate climates. Theoretically, “sub-tropical” should be in between tropical and temperate, but I find Madagascar beans do much better than Scarlet Runners in my sub-tropical climate. They live for about five years and though they like enough water, they cope with heat and dry and wet and humid (but not frost). They bear very prolifically on a rampant climbing vine.
I am picking this quantity every week at the moment. I planted four seed, only one survived, so all this is from one semi-perennial plant in its first year. It has overrun the fence and fought it out with the passionfruit for occupation of the pagola over the carport. It lost leaves in the cold snap but survived. I debated about keeping it – it fought (successfully) with a blackberry for the fence – and the blackberry is much more valuable in money terms. But I’m glad I did. If shtf, they are a tasty, reliable, prolific source of protein and carbs.
Heya. My Madagascar bean plants have something wierd happening to the leaves. Black spots and yellowing. I’m in Australia and it’s summer. Do you know anything about diseases or maybe nutrient deficiencies? Hopefully not a disease…
Too wet? Are you in one of the flood affected areas? It sounds a bit like the roots have spent too long under water. 🙁
I have so many Madagascar beans and piegon peas. Do u have any tried and tested, delicious recipe recommendations?
I’d love to know if u have any good recipes for Madagascar beans and pigeon peas…I have so many! Have tried hummus with Madagascar beans…pigeon peas take so long to cook! Thanks in advance for any recipe recommendations, rgds from port Macquarie, Australia
Pigeon peas when they are dry do take a while to cook, an hour or so if you just simmer on the stovetop. It’s faster if you soak them first, and I use a pressure cooker. Soaked overnight and pressure cooked, they only take about 10 minutes. If you add a pinch of bicarb they cook faster too. This is my favourite recipe for them. https://witcheskitchen.com.au/pigeon-pea-and-potato-dhal/. With Madagascar beans, I cook them in the slow cooker in the daytime when power is awasting, and make all the recipes you’d use Lima beans or borlotti beans for. There’s usually a container of cooked beans in the fridge. I add them to soups and stews. Frijoles – https://witcheskitchen.com.au/the-breakfast-challenge-frijoles-con-queso-cheesy-beans/. Chili beans is a regular in our household – https://witcheskitchen.com.au/chili-beans/, and ful medames (with Madagascar beans it is a much nicer pale pink colour) https://witcheskitchen.com.au/ful-medames-without-the-ful-or-lemony-garlicy-peppery-beans/
They sound amazing, are they any good fresh? I can’t eat most dried beans at all.
I don’t eat them as green beans, but I eat the bean seeds fresh (rather than dried), when they cook much faster. Someone in another post commented that she double peels them (like you do wiht broad beans) and cooks them in risotto. I know a few people can’t eat beans. Such a pity, they are such a good food.