Hidatsa Shield beans are a flavorful, heirloom North Dakota pole bean known for their creamy texture and rich, nutty taste, featuring distinctive caramel tops with dark brown markings, named after the Hidatsa tribe and traditionally grown in the Three Sisters method (with corn and squash) for nitrogen fixation and support. These productive, drought-tolerant beans can be harvested fresh or dried for long-term storage and are excellent in soups, stews, or even made into hummus, holding their shape well and cooking up tender.
Key Characteristics
- Appearance: Large, plump beans with a white underside and a caramel-colored top with dark brown/red markings, resembling a shield.
- Flavor & Texture: Creamy, rich, nutty flavor, great for reheating.
- Growth Habit: Vigorous climbing (pole) bean, traditionally grown with corn or sunflowers for support.
- Maturity: About 90 days for dry beans, but edible at various stages (fresh, shelled, dry).
- Hardiness: Drought and heat tolerant, productive.
Growing & Harvesting (Three Sisters Method)
- Plant Corn: Plant corn stalks first.
- Plant Beans: Sow beans at the base of the corn stalks; they climb the stalks for support and fix nitrogen.
- Plant Squash: Add squash as a ground cover to suppress weeds and retain moisture.
- Harvest: Allow pods to dry on the vine until brown and brittle for dry storage, or harvest earlier as green beans.
Culinary Uses
- Soups, stews, and chilis (reheat well).
- Can be used as a chickpea substitute for hummus.
- Baking.
- Tip: For tenderness, add salt or acids (like tomatoes) towards the end of cooking.
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