Unique heirloom beans are making comeback in popularity

Heirloom bean varieties discarded decades ago because of their disease susceptibility or other agronomic problems may yet have a niche role to play because of their unique flavors, textures and colors.

University of California, Davis, researchers are taking a close look at these beans of yesteryear in campus plots that include limas, edamame, common beans and other dry bean types.

"This year we're looking more at disease resistance; last year we looked at yields and we will again," said Antonia Palkovic, UC Davis assistant specialist in Plant Sciences.

Richvale-based rice grower Lundberg Farms has given extensive support to the study, in the expectation they can find bean varieties that will add unique nutritional and flavor qualities to their rice chips.

"Last year, Lundberg Farms approached us and asked if we would look at some heirloom types of beans they are thinking about including in their rotations, and in their food products," said Palkovic.

Lundberg makes a number of rice cake and rice chip products they are looking to enhance.

"We hope we can find some heirloom varieties that are adapted to Northern California growing conditions to use in our rice products, like rice cakes and rice chips, to enhance the nutritional value," said Junda Jiang, who is the manager of the seed nursery at Lundberg Family Farms.

Legumes combined with rice can provide a snack item with powerhouse levels of protein and fiber.

"We want to use the heirloom varieties because they are unique in flavor and nutritional value," Jiang said. "There is a market for it in rice cakes, and especially in rice chips. We brought the problem to UC, and they are doing good work with it."

The varieties that pass the plot and palate tests will still have to be crossed to acquire resistance to an important disease.

"You see a lot of bean mosaic virus out here. We have a lot of varieties with good yields that do not have virus resistance," said Paul Gepts, UC Davis geneticist and dry bean plant breeder.

UC dry bean varieties must have the I gene, which makes them resistant to this disease, before they can be released.

"We have markers for this gene, and it will take us two years to introduce it into the varieties that look promising," said Gepts. "We will have some heirloom-plus varieties."

Heirloom bean grower Mike Reese came all the way from San Diego County to take a look at these promising varieties during the annual UC Davis Dry Bean Field Day in early September.

"There are markets for them, but you have to do a lot of education with the public," said Reese, who grows heirloom beans in the Pauma Valley area of San Diego County at Rio Del Rey Heirloom Beans. "We offer samples of cooked beans because people aren't used to beans with different colors, shapes, sizes and tastes. Our biggest customers are restaurants, and they already know."

Until UC releases certified disease-free heirloom beans, Reese has no choice but to walk his field in search of seeds that might be less susceptible to bean mosaic.

"We live with bean mosaic virus, because the kinds of seeds we have are infected," he said. "I walk through the fields and pick out the best-looking ones for the seeds."

(Bob Johnson is a reporter in Santa Cruz. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@aol.com.)