Now coming thick and fast atop the vine.Not a huge space grabber, just a silent sentinel in the garden that presents its fruits each year at the same time.Crisp as...chips.Despite the lengths it can get to -- eg: > 20cm -- doesn't get stringy.This is the true New Guinea bean as it likely comes from there."The entire winged bean plant is edible. The leaves, flowers, roots, and bean pods can be eaten raw or cooked; the pods are edible even when raw and unripe. The seeds are edible after cooking. Each of these parts contains vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron, among other nutrients. The tender pods, which are the most widely eaten part of the plant, are best when eaten before they exceed 2.5 cm (1.0 in) in length. They are ready for harvest within three months of planting. The flowers are used to colour rice and pastry. The young leaves can be picked and prepared as a leaf vegetable, similar to spinach. The nutrient-rich, tuberous roots have a nutty flavour. They are about 20% protein; winged bean roots have more protein than many other root vegetables. The leaves and flowers are also high in protein (10–15%."In my garden Winged Bean grows as an annual.
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A great vegetarian food with a good protein amount. This unusual bean took some time for me to get used to, due to it's shape. It thrives in hot humid conditions, making it ideal for growing in the sub-tropic regions.
The one drawback of Winged Beans -- and probably why you don't see them for sale in the shops -- is that they don't keep well after harvest. They soften and go blackish.
I love them ...but my consuming other is protesting about their texture.
They are funny blighters -- in a cute way. You can have them in the soil for 'x' number of months but they want to fruit at the scheduled time.Then they can be generous +++.
We ate a few of these beans for dinner tonight via a Filipino recipe adaption:ginisang sigarilyas or sauteed winged beans.I have cooked them before, of course, but never as the primary item in a dish.
Some of those I harvested from outback were on the large size but braising sure omph-up the flavour and texture. the flavour was finished off with coconut cream.
They keep their crispiness without that squeakiness your get from string or runner beans when they are stir fried.
My winged bean is just starting to flower. This is the first time I've grown it - keen to see if it is going to be a keeper for me. Pity it's an annual, though - I was hoping for a season or two.
Comments
A great vegetarian food with a good protein amount. This unusual bean took some time for me to get used to, due to it's shape. It thrives in hot humid conditions, making it ideal for growing in the sub-tropic regions.
The one drawback of Winged Beans -- and probably why you don't see them for sale in the shops -- is that they don't keep well after harvest. They soften and go blackish.
I love them ...but my consuming other is protesting about their texture.
They are funny blighters -- in a cute way. You can have them in the soil for 'x' number of months but they want to fruit at the scheduled time.Then they can be generous +++.
*sighs* yeah. I'm waiting for mine to do something.
We ate a few of these beans for dinner tonight via a Filipino recipe adaption: ginisang sigarilyas or sauteed winged beans.I have cooked them before, of course, but never as the primary item in a dish.
Some of those I harvested from outback were on the large size but braising sure omph-up the flavour and texture. the flavour was finished off with coconut cream.
They keep their crispiness without that squeakiness your get from string or runner beans when they are stir fried.
My winged bean is just starting to flower. This is the first time I've grown it - keen to see if it is going to be a keeper for me. Pity it's an annual, though - I was hoping for a season or two.