Produce Feature: Chinese Red Noodle Beans!

Chinese Red Noodle Beans usually average around eighteen inches in length and are full of nutritious goodness! Their stunning deep red color is a great contrast to typical green beans on your platter, and are known as the “scarlet runner” bean because of their appeal. 
 

Luscious and nutty in flavor, Red Noodle Beans are a prolific bean that tend toward slight waxiness and require slightly longer cooking times. They will preserve their gem-tone color after cooking, and are exceptional in a stir fry, steamed, grilled, or chopped into salads.

 
Chinese Red noodle beans develop on vines that are five to eight feet tall, they mature for harvest ninety days after transplant. These alluring beans usually flourish in clusters of four and are heat tolerant to the sun. To plant, space six to eight inches apart in each row. Each plant should rest against a trellis structure or pole support.

Safe Haven Farm employees particularly delight in Chinese Red noodle beans.
Bryan Barnes, director, had this to say when asked why he chose to plant Red Noodle Beans:

“One of the things that I really enjoy about growing heirloom vegetables is determining what varieties we are going to grow and always trying new things. While having string beans is always a great summer treat, it can be very tedious and time consuming to pick them if you have a couple of rows 200 feet long. I remembered as a kid growing what we called “yard long” beans which were fun to pick, but just didn’t taste too good (they had a heavy string in them). So when I found the red noodle beans I decided to give it a try just because they looked great, the reviews were very good, and they would be easy to pick. I have never looked back. They are a beautifully crisp and tender bean that is slightly sweet with a hint of nutty flavor but  mostly I just enjoy eating them raw right off the vine.”

I hope you enjoy this superb plant. The taste, charm, beauty, and coloring of this plant are astounding. As a picker in the field I savor these beans as a raw snack often!

Written by Michaela G.
Co-written and edited by Garrett T.

Top and Bottom photos courtesy of the world wide web, center photo by Garrett T.