Heirloom Christmas Lima Beans ~ Seed Savers Exchange

I am as excited as a child at Christmas to have received my Seed Savers Exchange order this week! Our family has always loved lima beans, and as I was looking in their catalog for additional new heirloom varieties, I stumbled upon this pretty bean.

Even though it is named Christmas, there is plenty time to still plant for it only takes 75 to 100 days to bear. No, you don’t have to wait until Christmas to harvest this colorful and delicious bean also known as a Large Speckled Calico.

The package reads thus: “First cultivated in the U.S. around 1840. Produces beautiful quarter-sized flat white seeds with maroon spots and swirls. Rich flavor, can be used as both a shell lima or dry. Heavy yields, bears even during extreme heat. Pole Habit.”

I like the ‘bears during extreme heat’ part!

Here is a picture I found on the web of what they look like on the vine. The writer says,      ” …oh, my, they make a nutty, creamy comfort food – nothing like their starchy green cousins.” That’s been exactly our experience with limas. We will test them and let you know how they do

(source)

Or grow some for yourself and let me know what you think this October You can find them at Seed Saver’s Exchange.

~ Jacqueline