Ideal Market Pole Snap Bean, 1914 Heirloom, also known as Black Creaseback

The Black Creaseback was long favored by market gardeners in the early 1900s because it combined the heavy production of a pole bean with the delicate texture usually only found in short-lived bush varieties.

• Distinctive "Creaseback" Form: The pods are uniquely shaped with a visible groove or "crease" running down the back, a hallmark of this heirloom. This structural trait is often associated with the most tender, high-quality snap beans, ensuring they remain succulent and stringless even when mature.
• Intense Flavor & Texture: Unlike modern commercial beans that can be watery, Ideal Market offers a rich, meaty "true bean" flavor with a satisfyingly crisp snap. It is a fantastic choice for those who appreciate old-fashioned flavor profiles.
• Prolific Pole Habit: As a high-climbing pole variety, it makes excellent use of vertical space, producing concentrated flushes of 6-inch pods that are easy to harvest from a trellis or pole system.
• Dual-Purpose Heirloom: While primarily grown as a succulent fresh snap bean, the mature, fully dried pods reveal beautiful, glossy black seeds that make for an excellent, rich-flavored dry soup or baking bean if left to ripen on the vine.

"Ideal Market is the kind of heirloom that reminds you why we save seeds. You get the best of both worlds: a massive, heavy yield from a climber that saves you garden space, and a pod that remains perfectly tender and stringless long after other varieties have turned tough and fibrous. That 'crease' down the back is like a hallmark of quality—it tells you exactly how delicious and snap-able the bean is going to be."

• Sowing: Direct sow outdoors 1 inch deep in warm, fertile, well-draining soil in full sun after the last danger of frost has passed. Beans require warm soil (at least 65°F) for quick, healthy germination.
• Support: These vines are vigorous climbers and require a sturdy trellis, bean poles, or cattle paneling at least 6–7 feet tall. Plant 3–4 seeds at the base of each pole or space them 3–4 inches apart along a trellis line.
• Harvesting: For the best culinary quality, harvest the pods while they are still smooth, firm, and plump—before the seeds inside become visible and swollen. Consistent picking is the secret to a long-running harvest, as it encourages the plant to continue setting new blooms.