Tarahumara Purple Ojos (Pole Bean)

[macmex]

Last fall I had correspondence with a gardener/seed saver in California. She recommended that I try growing Tarahumara Purple Ojos for a dry bean. In her garden this bean only reaches 4' and doesn't appear to need support. I planted eight seeds on June 28, thinking that I could let them grow like bush beans. Within a bit more than two weeks I realized that they were going to climb and would need support. So, I put up an 8' trellis. They grew and grew. 

This bean showed great vigor and resilience, as it thrived with little or no watering. This seems to be a trade mark of any garden variety with "Tarahumara" in its name. By the last week in September I noticed that the vines' leaves were starting to yellow. Soon afterward, the leaves began to fall. Presently the vines are covered in dry and drying pods and very few leaves.
Here's a picture of them the third week of October:


We have been quite impressed with the yield of this bean and the colors, well... that's another interesting thing about this bean.


The seed comes in several different colors. It seems that within this "variety" one will find a mix of colors, with a good deal of pink and purple, but including some yellow. I like it!


Here's a picture of the plants when they were green.


I need more time to really get to know this bean. But I suspect that it will be very well suited for our extreme Oklahoma summers. I also strongly suspect that this bean is likely to manifest varying growth habit, depending on the climate and latitude where it is grown.

In the past, I've grown Tarahumara Pink Green Bean, which is has super vigor and resilience. I should write about it sometime. Most of these Tarahumara varieties have been introduced into the USA by Native Seed Search, which looks to find indigenous crops and distribute them.

www.nativeseeds.org/

[philagardener]

Pretty! Were the colors uniform on individual plants? That is how my Violet's Multicolored Butterbeans are. It is important to plant enough to maintain that genetic diversity within the line.

It also is interesting how the height of some varieties seems to vary widely with different cultural conditions. Half runners for some are tall poles for others. Seems true for cowpeas (Vigna) as well.

[macmex]

That is a very good point. It never hurts to grow a larger sample. But it's all the more important when dealing with a mix like this.

I have been amazed at how a variety can change when planted in a different location. I grew Tarahumara Pink Green Bean while living in Hidalgo, Mexico, at 20 degrees latitude. There it was a regular pole bean. It didn't quite go off the top of my poles. But when grown at this latitude the bean would probably top 20.' I had one plant break more than one pole and take over four 5' tomato cages! I have also grown beans which dried down like Tarahumara Purple Ojos did for me, only to find that they never do that again, not even in the same garden.

Here's a picture of the Tarahumara Purple Ojos seed when it's freshly shelled:

[macmex]

Yesterday I went back out to my Tarahumara Purple Ojos planting and picked all that I could in about 15 minutes. I was impressed, how, after having already picked as many as I could in about half an hour, that I just keep finding more and more pods! This bean is an excellent producer,

After chores I sat and shelled pods until bedtime, while chatting with Jerreth about the day's events. I was struck with several observations about this bean. First of all, it is truly a dry bean. While I have eaten some green pods and they were alright, I would never think of using it for green beans unless there were no "bona fide" snap varieties on hand. The seed would be alright for shelly beans. But, they are not easy to shuck until dry. Once dry however, well, that's another matter! Once dry, the pods are easy to pop open and the seed shells out very well. Eight seeds planted will yield somewhat over two quarts of dry seed, when all is said and done. That's pretty good.

There's also another consideration, at least for me; that's the "beauty factor." Just like Mesquakie Indian Corn, this variety is a joy to behold, as I shell each pod and discover the different colors and patterns inside. For me there is great enjoyment in this kind of beauty.

In the next day or two I hope to cook some of the dry seed, just to try it. But I have to say, that Tarahumara Purple Ojos has grown on me. It is a beautiful bean and has great practical potential.

Here are two more pictures. The first is well dried seed, stored in a jar.



The second is simply freshly shelled seed (not completely dry) in a plate. I love the patterns I see in this seed. Definitely, if one is going to grow this bean, I'd recommend growing 10 or more plants in order to maintain its diversity.

[macmex]

Okay, I think I am about to have covered everything I'd like to in a review of a variety. Last night I cooked some dry seed. Essentially, cooked, this bean is indistinguishable from a pinto bean. It's good! I had a side of beans with my huevos rancheros this morning!

[philagardener]

Looking at those pretty seed in the jar makes me think this is where jelly beans got their name!

[shamrock4]

I just ordered a bunch of Tarahumara varieties from Native Seeds! They are very pretty.

[bon]

23Sep2020
Tarahuma Purple Ojos
Central Oklahoma
Fall Growth

[macmex]

Yay! I need to grow this one out next year. Great dry beans!