Abenaki True Red Cranberry Pole Bean, Native American Heirloom

The Abenaki True Cranberry is one of the oldest documented beans in the North American record, surviving through centuries of careful hand-selection.

• Indigenous Origins: This bean is a traditional staple of the Abenaki Nation, who cultivated it across what is now Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Quebec.
• The 1796 Cookbook: Its reputation was so great that it was specifically mentioned in the first-known American cookbook, American Cookery (1796) by Amelia Simmons.
• A 11-Year Quest: In the late 20th century, legendary bean collector John Withee read about the bean in that 1796 text and spent 11 years searching for it. He finally located this "True Red" strain growing on Mr. Taylor's farm in Steep Falls, Maine. He donated it to the Seed Savers Exchange in 1981 to ensure it would never disappear again.
• Early Catalogs: While Thorburn’s 1829 Seed Catalog referenced "Cranberry beans" as mottled or crimson, this Abenaki strain is prized for being a True Red, though it will occasionally produce beautifully mottled beans as a nod to its ancient genetics.

This is a beautiful bean, but it reaches its peak as a shelling and baking bean.

• The Seed: Deep, lustrous red seeds that are plump and round, resembling a large cranberry.
• Fresh Shelling Stage: Many gardeners consider these to be exquisite when harvested fresh as "shelly" beans. At this stage, they are creamy, tender, and possess a buttery richness.
• Baking & Slow Cooking: This is arguably the best bean for traditional New England Baked Beans. They hold their shape through long hours of slow cooking while absorbing the flavors of molasses and maple syrup.
• Snap Stage: Young pods can be harvested early and eaten as a succulent, meaty snap bean.

The Abenaki True Cranberry is a vigorous pole bean that thrives in the cooler, temperate climates of the North but performs well wherever a long season allows.

Garden Bed Coverage: One packet from Firefly Farm & Mercantile is designed to perfectly seed a 20 square foot bed (roughly an 8' to 10' long by 2.5' wide garden bed).

"The Abenaki True Cranberry is a survivor bean. It escaped the industrialization of our food system because home gardeners in Maine and Vermont refused to let it go. We love it for its incredible creamy texture—there is simply no better bean for a slow-simmered winter stew. It’s a piece of the 1700s that you can grow in your own backyard today."

• Sturdy Support: These vines are vigorous! Use a strong trellis, cattle panel, or a traditional "Three Sisters" corn stalk for support.
• Harvesting for Dry Use: Allow the pods to dry completely on the vine until they are brittle and the seeds inside are rock-hard. This ensures the deep red color is perfectly preserved for storage.
• Cool Climate Resilience: Because of its Maine heritage, it handles cool evenings better than many other pole bean varieties.