An Old Favorite: Contender Bush Bean

Like many gardeners, I love to look at seed catalogs, and the new and colorful varieties usually catch my eye. But there’s one favorite that I keep on using: the Contender Bush Bean.

Developed in 1949 at the U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, the Contender bush bean had also been called the “Bluff Valentine.” The result was a stringless and tender bush bean that offered high yields, early production (55 days) and good disease resistance.

It is widely available wherever garden seeds are sold, but I always get mine by the scoop from old-fashioned seed bins from Southwest Fertilizer. I don’t remember exactly, but a scoop is under a dollar, and I have planted around 35 sq ft with under two scoops of seeds.

The drawback is bending over to harvest, although it’s worth it. If picked every other day, they will produce bountifully until the July heat gets them or until a frost, if you have a fall crop. They are truly stringless, and so tender that I often munch on a few while I’m picking.

I’ll be planting a crop of Contenders in a raised bed that doesn’t require bending.

Once harvested, to prepare them I usually just put them in a pan or skillet (or even a microwavable dish), add garlic, a splash of broth, and heat till they get al dente. Often, I pair a handful of cut green beans with whatever else I have harvested that day. Of course, I also love them raw in salads.

Enjoy!