Pole bean: Green Hyacinth/Lab Lab

Description

Very important: The green beans inside the pods should always be cooked and not eaten raw as they do contains toxins that may be harmful when raw.

This variety comes from Peak Week Pods. JC Terblanche says: ‘Hyacinth beans also known as Lab-lab bean is native to Africa and are a favourite in Indian communities where they are referred to as Surdi Papdi. Hyacinth beans are often grown as ornamentals as they cover a large area by climbing three metres vertically and horizontally and have spectacular light purple flowers. The swollen beans in the pod are edible when shelled and cooked or dried, but don’t eat the green pods. Lab labs are used in many recipes but are hard to come by fresh. (This variety is the green pod version.) Expect the plants to send out vines up to four metres in all directions. The plants are perennial, so can make a great barrier/border plant. Leaves are edible, dry beans can be cooked and if the water is replaced a few times, the beans are delicious and harmless.’

25 beans