Purple Long Bean (Indonesia)

Long, tender and purple pods are hearty, crunchy, and sweet, and are featured in many delicious Indonesian dishes including stir-fries, curries, and salads. Its purpleness is very important! First, kids love to harvest them, chop them up, and watch them turn green when cooked. Second, the purple color indicates the presence of anthocyanins, which may have many important health benefits. These beans are high in protein and contain many vitamins and minerals.

This variety was shared with us in 2021 by Hani White and Syarif Syaifulloh of Haiqal’s Garden, who call it “Kacang Panjang Ungu”, or Long Purple Peanut. Hear our podcast with Hani and Syarif here: 

EP. 21: Haiqal’s Garden - Indonesian vegetables in South Philly

Give these beans a tall trellis so that their pods grow straight and long and stay off the ground.

Days to maturity: 78

Seeds per pack: 35

Germination rate: 86% on 12/21/2023

Planting / harvesting notes

Direct sow long beans safely after frost, any time between late May and mid-July. This is a climbing vine crop, so it needs to be planted next to a structure or trellis. Plant up to 1" deep with 3” spacing. Being a legume, it does fairly well and adds nitrogen to poor soil. Ready to harvest after about 80 days. We find the majority of beans near the bottom or tops of the plants, and harvest them completely for the first month to push the plants to continue producing.

Seed keeping notes

Long beans are self-pollinating, though it is best to isolate different varieties of V. unguiculata (including black-eyed peas, southern peas, cowpeas) at least 20 feet, if not much farther to avoid unwanted cross-pollination. Allow beans to become yellow and rubbery, and then to dry fully into a brown crispy state. This is when they are ready to harvest for seed. If necessary, lay them out to dry a little longer in their pods.

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