Calypso shelling beans are an heirloom variety and members of the Phaseolus vulgaris genus, the most widely cultivated genre of beans in the world. Shelling beans are grown primarily for the edible seeds inside, though they are also grown as fodder and soil fertilizers. There are several varieties of Calypso beans, including red, black and white, butterscotch, Steuben yellow-eye. One definitive shared characteristic is that the beans retain their color once cooked. Calypso shelling beans, along with other Shelling bean varieites, are a choice companion plant to corn as they provide a natural source of nitrogen to the soil, which corn benefits from as a source of nutrients. Healthy plants can also be turned into the soil after maturity as they provide an excellent green manure for future crops.

Calypso shelling beans are encased in a pod that is green, edible and succulent when fresh. Once shelled, the beans are easily distinguished by their skin's trademark ying yang-like pattern, which will deepen with age. Their shape is petit, rounded and ovate. Cooked Calypso beans have a velvety smooth, creamy plump texture and nutty, mellow russet potato-like flavor.

Serving Ideas

Calyspso Shelling beans are known as a benchmark standard baked bean or soup bean. Cooked slow and low in a clay pot, they will need nothing more than water, salt and mirepoix to bring out their true flavors. Common companions include ham hocks, barley, chiles, corn, carrots, garlic, cumin, herbs such as cilantro, arugula and oregano, summer squash, chicken, sharp and mild cheeses, citrus and mustard greens.

Geography/History

The original cultivar of the calypso shelling bean is at least 400 years old and native to the Caribbean region of the New World. The oldest Shelling beans are native to Peru and the Tehuacan Valley. Calypso shelling beans were once common throughout the Americas and then went into obscurity as improved varieties became commonplace. The late 20th Century has brought a resurgence of heirloom beans and because of calypso shelling beans' unique appearance, they are once again becoming relevant in small production. Calypso shelling beans along with all Heirloom shelling beans are beans that have not been manipulated, hybridized or genetically modified. This means that the beans in the pods are also seeds and they can be sowed again after drying because they will grow "true to type" year after year.

Seasons/Availability

Fresh calypso shelling beans are available in summer and fall months.