Madagascar beans are a cultivar of Lima bean from Peru where they are called Canary beans which the pod resembles. They are no doubt my favourite bean having a creamy texture. They produce heavily and are a long lived vine. I’ve grown them in Bellingen, NSW for the last 5 years and they have survived drought on a shale hilltop with no additional water. They are subtropical to tropical.
Bean pods are collected when plump slightly immature for a treat, at this point they will be white or just getting speckles. They can be shelled or steamed in the pod served simply with butter and salt. I like to freeze a few ziploc bags full ready to cook later on. As the pods dry on the vine they will turn from green to yellow then split and twist. Harvest the dried mature beans when the pods are crispy. If left too long mould will get them.
Dried beans need overnight soaking before cooking and they should be cooked till soft. The dried beans store well though I have always finished them before the next season.
The vines are best grown on a fence and if the ground is compact plant them in a pot and they will root in with time. They like heat and grow vigorously if you want to block western sun.
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