Haricot Tarbais

These are the beans used in French cassoulets. They're ridiculously expensive compared to other beans available in America.

I bought them to plant. Their germination rate is pathetic.

A whole jar soaked as bean sprouts failed to germinate.

I checked to make sure they were not imported to lessen the likelihood of being irradiated but they were inert. The seed bought from seed stores failed to germinate.

Out of hundreds of seeds planted there is only one good plant. It's grown up a trellis and then a up a bamboo pole from a large pot to the roof of my terrace. It's now curling around at the tip of the bamboo pole.

The leaves that get partial sun burn in  Colorado direct sun for part of the day. The leaves that stay in the shade do better. A few other plants germinated too but they are not growing so well as that one.

I still have the whole bag, I still have room in some pots and I still have time in the season to keep trying. I might try to germinate them inside and possibly keep them inside at the windows. I don't know yet. I'd like them to fill out the trellis. They're very discouraging for beans. I planted them three times.

One time I bought a bag of grocery store pinto beans and planted the whole 1lb bag at my parents home. They ALL germinated into a fantastic little bean patch. It was pure joy to watch grow. I didn't have a clue what I was doing but they grew very well as small bushes. Even the rabbits liked hanging out in the bean patch.

I should have cooked more.

These are delicious. 

The cooking liquid has top smoked thick cut Applewood bacon, tarragon, pepper and more liquid smoke.

After they pressure cooked on low for one hour, frozen pearl onions were added along with two tablespoons of brown sugar and one tablespoon of cider vinegar. These are sweet/sour with smoke.

Regular white navy beans are not as good. Regular white lima beans are not as good. 

I'm going to be sad when these beans are gone. But $11.00 a pound is a bit much. I'll try the same thing with regular American white beans.

And I'll keep trying to grow these. There must be a secret.