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Case Knife Beans are among the oldest pole beans still grown in the United States. They were developed in Italy in the 1600s and their name stems from the wide, flat, and curved shape of the pod which resembles a knife blade. Both white-seeded and brown-seeded varieties are in circulation. White-seeded Case Knife Beans are documented in historic Louisiana gardens such as those at Rosedown Plantation in St. Francisville. They, with other legumes, were staple crops at Rosedown, and most other farms and homesteads for several reasons. First, beans are easy to grow because they require very little fertilizer, especially nitrogen. Their root systems are colonized by a soil bacterium that converts nitrogen into nitrates. Second, beans are a protein-rich food and are part of a hardy, nutritious diet. Vines are vigorous and will need a sturdy trellis system to climb on. These Case Knife Beans produce large pods that are filled with large, protein-rich seeds. Harvest when the pods are filled out.
A beautiful harvest of Case Knife Beans ready for the kitchen!
Case Knife Beans vines are vigorous and will need a sturdy trellis to climb on.
Case Knife Bean pods are flat and somewhat curved like a knife blade.
Case Knife Beans are at their best when the seeds fill out the pods like this. The seeds are an excellent protein source.
