Calypso bean


The Pickle bean, or orca bean, yin yang bean, is a bean cultivar of the species Phaseolus vulgaris.

Characteristics

Plant

Calypso Beans are a kidney bean hybrid. They grow on a bush-type bean plant that grows up to 15 inches tall. There will be 4 to 5 beans per pod. 70 to 90 days from seed for harvest. The beans are small, 3/8 inch long, but plump.

Colors of seed

Calypso beans are the best known as distinctly colored variety with a striking contrast of black and white in color. The beans are half black, half white, with one or two black dots in the white area though there is also a red and white variety.

Uses

When young, the pods can be harvested as a green bean. But when full-grown, they are used as a bean for drying.

Equivalents dry to cooked

Calypso Beans double in size when cooked, and have a smooth texture: 1 cup dried beans = 2 cups cooked beans.