Soldier Beans

Soldier Beans

History of Soldier Beans

Soldier bean (phaseolus vulgaris) is an heirloom plant that has been cultivated in New England since before 1800. The name comes from a distinctive red mark on each 3/4-inch bean that resembles an old-fashioned toy soldier. These are also known as red-eye beans.

Soldier beans are a bush bean, with a firm texture and mild taste. They are dried before being cooked. Soldier bean plants are grown commercially only in New England and they tend to be produced in accordance with the demand for them.

Soldier Bean Cooking Suggestions

Soldier beans can be cooked in the same way you’d prepare most other dried beans. Rinse the beans, soak them overnight and then change the water before boiling them until they are soft. Once they are cooked, you can add onions, spices and meat, or bake them into casseroles with vegetables and cheese. They can also be used in any recipe that calls for white beans.

Other Soldier Bean Information

Soldier beans are in high demand these days and there are several factors contributing to this demand.  Green Thumb Farms is one of the largest suppliers of Soldier beans in the world last year Mother Nature did not do her part to create ideal growing conditions in this valley.  The lack of supply drives demand in an uncontrollable nature.  This year Mother Nature showed us that ideal growing conditions do exist and our only hurdle has been harvesting and cleaning our Soldier beans fast enough to get them packaged up and in the hands of demanding, Soldier bean deprived customers. 

Soldier Bean Status Update

The Soldier beans have been harvested and are being processed through our cleaning, sorting and packaging equipment.  Bean cleaning is a slow process that we are working to speed up with new equipment.  Keep checking our online store for updated information about when Soldier beans will be available for purchase.  We thank you for your patience!