"... Then I tried some when the hulls were yellow and almost felt like the bean should have been pealed." That has been my observation also, for most of the runner beans I've tried as shellies. That, and the "off" flavor of many of them, had me questioning whether runner bean seeds were really suited for use as shellies. Now I suspect that those issues can largely be overcome, whether by choice of variety, level of maturity at harvest, or means of preparation. This is, IMO, mostly uncharted territory, so there is still a lot of research & experimentation yet to be done. The beans are so large & visually appealing, it would be wonderful if their flavor could be made to match their appearance. My hope is that canning will prove to soften the skins of the mature beans. I've never been very fond of canning vegetables, since I prefer the fresh flavor of frozen produce... but in the case of runner bean shellies, canning might improve their palatability. Who knows, the pressure cooking itself might yield favorable results. I'm looking forward to experimenting, provided that I have enough beans next year to do so.

Gardenlad, from what I have heard & read, the chances of beans cross-pollinating vary greatly. In some locations (perhaps yours) crossing is virtually non-existent. Then there are years when it is widespread, even where it was normally rare. So different people around the country can make completely opposite claims about crossing - and each be right, for their own area. Tomatoes are the same way... but that is another topic. I suspect that most often, these differences are due to variations in the local pollinator population, and the availability of other pollen & nectar sources nearby. My main pollinators are bumblebees (which are quite common here), and "sweat bees". The good news is that bumblebees pollinate everything, including my limas & scarlet runners, which do nothing until they appear. The bad news is that they can _cross_ pollinate everything. For me, crosses are fairly frequent, unless I take preventive measures. My garden now is perhaps 25-30% vertical; I trellis everything I can, and where I have a choice between bush legumes & pole, I generally choose pole. I plan the trellises to create "baffles" to confuse pollinators, and as windbreaks to protect tender crops (another topic). I have observed bumblebees feeding. Unlike honeybees, which will generally visit only one specific type of flower at a time, bumblebees work the whole garden... so interplanting different species as baffles to one another, and interplanting flowers that are "bee plants" throughout the garden, is very effective for me. I use a combination of marigold, cosmos, cleome, sunflowers, basil, and a blooming mallow (Malva sylvestra). All but the marigold & basil have naturalized, so I just transplant them as necessary. And some of the trellised cucurbits are also good bee plants; bitter melon (Momordica charantia) and the vine sold as "Mexican sour gherkin" (Melothria scabra) seem especially attractive to bees, and tend not to attract cucumber beetles. As gardeners, whenever we save seed, we walk a fine line; we want to attract pollinators for our outbreeding plants (like squash, melons, cukes & cabbages), but not allow them to contaminate our inbreeding plants (beans, peas, peppers, tomatoes). The Jimenez bean, I suspect, has some trait that makes it more susceptible to cross-pollination, much the same as some tomatoes (cherries & potato-leaf) are more likely to cross. Larger or more open flowers, perhaps. I have heard good reviews of the variety, so I may try it again (hopefully with pure seed) and will study the blossoms closely.

The year started with Favas and peas. Windsor favas did much better than last year. The edible pea pods I had got mixed, but we loved the Oregon trail shelling peas. They are supposed to be a climber but seemed bush in our garden. I guess a short pole? We are planting lots more of them (already have!). Next were the runner beans. This year I planted some of the white one, sweet white runners and runner canelinis. They produced enough green snaps to make it again into the pickle jar, and we got two pots of chili out of the seeds. The sweet white runners were inter-planted with chayotes and they are giving us a fall crop! They are full of white flowers so we expect more as the weather cools down a little. The brown runners (red scarlet runners) seem dead, but I know they are dormant and the root it still OK. P. vulgaris were not sufficiently represented this year, will do more next spring. The black valentines did great (bush) and produced a nice crop of green snaps in a hurry. The Lousiana purple pods gave us quite a few beans, they tasted OK but not great, still looking for a good variety of purple. Tried Cherokee wax bush beans and they were OK, not as good as Gold of Bacau, so far still my favorite gold snap. The Fortex failed miserably and did not even give us any beans. Second year in a row, so we are done with Fortex. I tried a few Emerite, got enough for some seed, not many beans. I planted a few late Gold of Bacau, not sure if they will make it before frost. They should, since we rarely get frost before late December. Next year I need to plant a lot more common beans. Tennesee cutshorts sound very appealing, I also want to try my unnamed Catalan beans and the monjetes del ganxet. Oh, how could I forget?! The soissont verts gave us a nice crop and we are still in love with them. Plant even more of them next year. I tried a few soybeans and they did not do well. I suppose I crowded them. We also tried yard long beans, got a few and realized we are not so wild about the flavor, whatever they do to them at Chinese restaurants makes them taste great, can't reproduce it at home though. We also got some pink eye purple hulls, they are moping, limping along and so far have produced one flower and two beans. Next year we will not do cow peas at all and instead try our luck with limas (Gigandes and black jungle butter beans) Full cycle and we are back to favas and peas. Sowed more Windsor, Sansimonia (Italian) and some favas I brought from Spain. Don't ask me the variety name, I will call them Catalan favas. I planted more Oregon trail shelling peas, and got myself a pisoli rampicante from Grow Italian that is a snow pea with the flavor of a sugar snap. Can't wait! I also planted a few chickpeas (forget the variety but it is the one sold by Grow italian) Some have sprouted already. I am only growing a few, just to check out the plant cycle and see what it does and how we like them.

Most of the beans were shellies or at least were eaten when the pods were full of mature seeds so I will put the report here again. 5/20/12 started some beans in peat pots. 5/31 put beans on to soak and planted them all out on 6/2. After a nice May, June was unseasonably cold and wet. 7/5 seasonal daytime temperatures started. Nights were below normal most of the summer. Most of September had above average days but nights continued unusually cold with a 32F frost on 9/12! The first week of October there were several unusually cold nights at 29-30F but many of the beans continued to produce. Even the 27F frost on 10/22 did not totally end the bean season. Bush beans: Candy, shelly. They are very late and have runners. Very large and dense aggressive bushes. 10/10 some of these are maturing. Very nice large and plump shellies, red on cream maturing to red on pink. Some are just over an inch long. They are too late for here. Clem and Sarah's Big Bean, shelly. Most of them died in the cold wet June. 9/8 some pods are turning yellow. Clem's Purple, a single plant found in the Clem and Sarah's Big Bean patch in 2011. 9/8 some are turning yellow. 9/15 some drying out. Shellies are up to one inch long and are all purple, all white, purple speckles on white or white streaks on purple. Very attractive mix and they have good flavor and texture. The plants did far better than the white version in the cold wet June. Crow River Black, shelly. 9/8 some are turning yellow. 9/15 some drying out. Shellies have good flavor but firm texture. 9/30/12 finished the harvest. 2 gallons of dry pods plus shellies. Large plants with up to 44 pods on a plant. Duane Baptiste Potato Bean, shelly. 9/8 some pods are turning yellow. 9/15 Picking dry pods. Shellies are 1 inch long and have good flavor and texture. Family, shelly. 9/8 some are turning yellow. 9/15 some drying out. 9/22 plump shellies are dark red with cream splotches and are up to 7/8 inch long. Not a large crop. Giant Red Tarka (USDA PI 507984), shelly. Crop failure in cold wet June. The killer zombie slugs apparently got them. Golden Valley, shelly. 9/8 many are turning yellow. 9/15 Picking dry pods. Shellies are up to 3/4 inch long and they have good flavor and texture. Marveille de Piemonte, shelly. Sprouted seeds are small. 9/8 some are turning yellow. The plants were tiny. 9/29 the few pods are drying but the seeds do not look mature. Stockbridge Indian, shelly. 9/8 most pods are yellow. 9/15 Picked half a bucket of dry pods so far. The shellies have good flavor and texture. 9/29 picked the last of them, 2 gallons. Mostly dry. Plants are large and robust. Total of 2-1/2 gallons of dry pods and 1 gallon of shelly pods from 24 feet of row. This was the best bush shelly this year. Runner: Bianco di Spagna.* 9/15 a few are drying out. 10/6/12 picked 2 gallons of dry pods. 10/16 there are still lots of shellies. 10/21 Picking more dry pods. Pole Beans: Anellino Giallo black seed wax shrimp bean. 8/21 Several turned yellow and they have good flavor. 9/7 Crop is fairly heavy and even the most mature pods are stringless. 9/18 pods are swelling with maturing black seeds and they are still string free, tender and tasty. DW loves them. 9/30 a few pods are becoming flexible. 10/7 the hulls develop maroon streaks and splotches as seeds mature. They are very slow to dry but a few pods are starting to dry finally. 10/20 there are still lots of good plump snaps and I picked the drier ones for seed. 10/25 the drying pods are still fine snaps, fat with black seeds. This is a winner. Bingo*, shelly. 9/1 a few of the 8 inch pods are starting to soften. 9/8 first mess of mature shellies. 9/15 some drying out. 9/30/12 Picked a gallon of dry pods. 10/20 picked the rest of the shellies. This is a fine bean that makes good shellies over almost a two month period. Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco, shelly. 9/30 they are very slow to mature. None are soft yet. 10/14 Some look mature. 10/20 Picked almost 2 gallons of shellies from half a trellis (7 feet of row). Many of those I picked turned out to be not yet mature. Not suited for here. They did fine in Seattle but they have basically failed here twice. Borlotta Stregonta, shelly. Two 14 foot trellises. 9/30 - 5 gallons of dry pods from one trellis. Many shellies left. 10/6/12 another 8 gallons of dry pods from both trellises. Picked 5 gallons of shelly pods. Bosnian Pole, Romano type snap and shelly. 8/25 loaded with snaps. 10/8 most are at shelly stage or are drying, picked 4 gallons of shelly and dry pods. 10/20 picked most of the rest of the shellies. Brita's Footlong*, snap and shelly. 8/10 some 9" snaps but I did not try them. 9/15 some drying out. 9/29 many are dry, picked 2 gallons of dry pods. 10/16 there are still lots of shellies. 10/20 most are too dry to use as shellies. 10/25 a few shellies left. Chabarosk, shelly. Hulls look very similar to New Hampshire, dark green and purple. 10/5/12 a few are drying. 10/20 shellies look identical to New Hampshire except they are slightly smaller. Few are 7/8 inch and they are later. Many are not mature yet. Dolloff*, shelly. 9/1 a few pods are turning yellow. 9/5 a couple pods are drying. Good shellies and great as a dry bean. 9/29 Picked 5 gallons of dry pods from 3 trellises. 10/6 another 5 gallons of dry pods. 10/16 there are still lots of shellies. 10/20 the rest are too dry to use as shellies. Emerite, snap. 8/8 first Emerite. 10/6 picked a gallon of dry pods. Fortex*, snap 8/7 first mess of Fortex. 9/29 Late (planted July 7) Fortex are still good but we are running out. 10/10 there are still some usable late Fortex. I was able to save seed. Goose, shelly 9/29 Some are drying. Kew Blue, snap. 8/12 there are a few snaps. 8/21 we cooked a mess and they have ok flavor. 8/25 loaded with snaps. 9/29 many are drying. Kwintus, snap and shelly. 8/10 7" flat greasy looking snaps. 9/29 many are dry. Picked 2 gallons of dry pods from 5 feet of row. 10/16 there are still lots of shellies.10/25 there are a few shellies still usable. Neon Goose*, shelly. 9/1/12 a few are bright pink and softening. What a mix of types! 10/6 picked them all, 2-1/2 gallons of dry and shelly pods from half a trellis (7 foot row). New Hampshire, shelly. 9/29 about 1/3 are dry. Hulls are dark green and purple. 10/16 there are still lots of shellies. The tasty 7/8 inch shellies are very plump and cream with purple streaks. They continue drying in the rain. 10/20 most are dry. North Carolina Speckled Long Greasy Cutshort.*, snap 9/7 starting to plump up. 9/30 only one turning yellow. 10/13 A few are drying out. 10/20 there are still loads of snaps and a few that are dry. This is now the main source of snaps and DW likes them. 10/25 still loads of snaps. Tennessee Cutshort*, snap. 8/18 Many are plump. 9/8 A few turning yellow. 9/30 half are dry. 10/6 all are dry. Tobacco Worm*, snap. 9/8 a few are yellow and drying. 9/15 some drying out. They are very fine eating even when the pods are completely yellow. 10/20 there are still a lot of snaps but most are dry. 10/25 all are drying. Volga German Siberian, shelly. 3-4 foot half-runner vines. 9/1 pink pods are softening. 9/8 first mess of tasty � inch shellies. 9/15 some are drying out. 9/29 all are dry. White Simpson Greasy, snap. 9/29 Many are softening. DW likes the younger green ones as snaps. 9/30 several are dry. 10/4 they are very good quality even when all yellow. 10/10/12 On this trellis, there is one vine with black seeded striped hull greasy beans with fine flavor and texture. They do have strings. Some of these are drying. No!!! (Sound of one hand slapping the other hand.) Do not eat any more of these!! Save the rest for seed!! 10/25 there are still some usable snaps on the whites seeded plants but most are drying. *Some of these were started on peat pots. - Dick