One Hundred Dollars a Month

Join Mavis Butterfield for vegetable gardening and canning tips, easy recipes, and saving money strategies (Rug hooking, too!). Simple living at its best!

Giveaway

Must Love Beans – Giveaway

By Mavis Butterfield on -

If you love beans as much as I do, then you are going to LOVE this next giveaway. 

It’s no secret around here that I LOVE beans. If I was dropped on a desert island and was only given 3 things to eat for all eternity, beans would be one of them.

Beans are cheap, easy to prepare and last forever and twenty seven days. Plus they’re good for you too! And sometimes, they’re even pretty. 

Especially the ones that Rancho Gordo sells. 😉

Speaking of Rancho Gordo, Steve Sando {founder and CEO} has a new cookbook out and it’s packed full of amazing BEAN recipes.

And all sorts of information too. 

The book is beautiful! So I bought a few copies. And a few pounds of beans to share as well. How exciting is that!? 

Want to win?

Giveaway

Three lucky people will each win:

All you have to do to enter this giveaway is let me know what your favorite dried bean of all time is AND if you’ve ever tried growing them. That’s it. That’s all you have to do.

Life, it’s pretty complicated sometimes, so I like to keep my giveaways pretty simple around here. 

Rules:

1 entry per person/ip address. If you cheat, you will totally be disqualified. {Comments may take an hour or two to be cleared, so please be patient}. 

This giveaway ends Saturday, December 7th @ 10am EST and the winners will be announced on the evening of Saturday, December 7th. You will be notified via email and have 48 hours to claim your prize. If you do not claim your prize within 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited.

Good Luck! I hope you win!

~Mavis

SHARE:
OTHER

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Comments

  1. Rebecca says

    I guess my favorite dried bean would be pinto beans, just because they are kind of chameleons in the food world- they can become SO many different things in recipes! I’ve never grown them, since we have too much shade to grow much. BUT, I dream of a sunny, flat lot for gardening once we downsize!

  3. Linda says

    You’re giving away one of my very favorite beans – the Christmas Lima from Rancho Gordo. I’ve been using that bean for at least 20 years and is hands down my favorite! Thanks for the giveaway, I’ve had my eye on that book!

  4. Linda Boyd says

    We grew black eyed peas when we moved down South from Vermont! Love them, but not all that shelling. We make a great ham & bean soup with 2 or 3 kinds of beans (but usually buy them in bags). Red kidneys, great northern & garbanzos are are favorite.

  5. Nancy says

    I love black beans; just cook with some onions, garlic and peppers. Delicious.
    I’d love to try the Christmas lima beans!
    Thanks for the giveaway.

  6. Jacqui says

    I’ve always wanted to try these! I’ve never grown dried beans. Only green. And I’ve only cooked dried pinto and black beans. I need some practice!!

  7. Karin says

    Hard to pick a favorite dried bean, but I’ll go with black eye peas. I’ve never tried to grow them.

  8. Daisy Shoemaker says

    Pick a favorite? Tough! Each bean has it’s own purpose/flavor. I really love mayocoba beans. Super creamy refried.
    I have tried to grow cowpeas at home. Yield was low. Makes me appreciate the farmers who supply us with pounds of beans.

    • Nadia says

      I love beans too, I do love butter beans and limas too, but my very favorite is the dark red kidney bean. Would love to try to grow any kind of bean and have heard that black beans are fairly easy to grow, so perhaps next year I’ll try my hand at it. Thanks for sharing some of your favorite things with us.

  10. Laura Z says

    Red beans! It’s customary to eat them every Monday in Louisiana, where my dad was born. Never tried to grow them, though. What an amazing giveaway! Rancho Gordo has amazing beans!

  13. Debbi says

    My favorite dried bean is the garbanzo and I’ve only ever grown green beans. I love beans too!! Thanks Mavis!

  15. Sharon says

    Pinto beans, southern style (and mexican).
    Never attempted to grow. But as a child, my grandparents did.

  17. Shari Harniss says

    I grew up eating a LOT of pinto beans. And, I still enjoy them. With fried potatoes and cornbread. Memories.
    Never have grown them, tho.

  18. Peggy says

    My grandson (5) threw a handful of dried navy beans into a sandbox in our garage, then watered them. A few weeks later, bean sprouts poking through the sand! I dug them up, planted them in the garden and now I have a small jar of beans waiting to be cooked up for his next visit!

  19. Theresa Guetlich says

    Pinto Beans would be my favorite. I have not tried many other dried beans besides black beans and lentils. This book would definitely enhance my dried bean experience. Merry Christmas!

  20. Tracy says

    Very boring but my favorite is navy beans. They remind me of my Grandma’s baked beans. No, I have not tried to grow them.

  21. Lee says

    I love beans and eat all varieties, current fav is mung beans using a Costco salad recipe. Tried to grow scarlet runner but to much rain that year.

  22. Tracey says

    Love black beans! So cheap and easy to cook with and put in anything! (Brownies!) I’ll often cook up a big bag and freeze to use later. 5-6 cans worth for the cost of 1 bag. I’ve grown Scarlett runner beans but have never eaten them. They grow as a beautiful vine with the prettiest red flowers.

  23. Tracey says

    Love black beans! So cheap and easy to cook with and put in anything! (Brownies!) I’ll often cook up a big bag and freeze to use later. 5-6 cans worth for the cost of 1 bag. I’ve grown Scarlett runner beans but have never eaten them. They grow as a beautiful vine with the prettiest red flowers.

  25. Rebecca C says

    I love pinto beans but we also eat black and navy beans. I recently started cooking dried garbanzo beans and they are so much better than the canned variety. I have never tried to grow beans.

  26. Sarah Hamilton says

    I do like beans, but have limited bean experience. I like a black bean burger. My plan in 2025 is to up my bean game (my doc wants me to eat more protein).

  28. Karen says

    I love cooking navy beans into soup. They’re so small and cute and tasty. PInto beans are great too. Never tried growing them; we’re renters.

  29. Jen says

    My favorite dried bean is the pinto bean. We eat them fairly often. We did try growing them one year, but we failed. We should definitely try again!

  30. Diane Pushard says

    I’ve never tried growing pintos, my favorite dried beans. I would love to try other varieties, but the husband isn’t a fan. Maybe the cookbook has ideas for meals he would like.

  32. Beth B says

    My favorite is black-eyed peas and I did grow them one year. I didn’t feel like they gave me enough production for the space they took up, but at least I can say I tried!

  33. Paula says

    My favorite dried bean is the black bean. And, no I have never tried to grow them. We love beans at our house. We visit the Bush’s Baked Bean museum and restaurant every year. It is in Dandridge, Tennessee. The museum has lots of great exhibits celebrating the bean. They even have a scale that tells you how many beans you weigh. Next to the museum is a lovely gift shop. They have a restaurant. And, wait for it…..They offer desserts at the restaurant that contain the lovely bean. Some examples are: Pinto Bean Pecan Pie and Pinto Bean Chocolate Pecan Pie. To learn more about their visitor”s Center, go to the Bush’s Baked Bean website, scroll to the bottom, and click on visitor center. And, you get free bean samples.

  34. Holley says

    This is a hard decision. Being from New Orleans, I ate red kidney beans every Monday for as long as I can remember. BUT, as an adult that loves beans of any sort, I’ve widen my use of beans and it is hard to choose a favorite. I’d have to say it’s a toss up between split peas and lentils. I adore split pea soup, but I love lentils used almost any which way! As far as growing is concerned, I’ve only grown green beans. Now I must go make a pot of lentil chili! Thanks, Mavis!

  35. Heidi says

    I love black beans! I grow around 40 different varieties of shelling beans – I love the variety of colors and names – Vermont Appaloosa, Tiger’s Eye, Money, Jacob’s Cattle Gold, Calypso. The collector in me just comes out 🙂

  36. Josepha says

    I’m not sure if this giveaway is open to Canadians but I had to comment! For the last few years I have been growing Borlotti pole beans in my southwestern Ontario garden. They cook up so yummy and creamy!

  37. Kim M says

    I love navy beans but have never tried growing any kind of bean. Squirrels would take them out I’m sure!

  38. Joely says

    I love all types of beans so hard to pick but I will go with fava beans; it is a family custom to marinate them at the holidays and when I grow them I love all of the flowers that the plants produce.

  40. Chela says

    My favorite beans are white. I love a good pot of ham and bean soup. I have grown dried beans the last two years but can’t remember the variety off the top of my head. They are great in chili though.

  41. Julie V says

    I like beans too. My Spanish-American grandfather used to call garbonzo beans “Spanish bullets”. I think my favorite bean would be the humble pinto bean because they are so versatile and I just love them soft, cooked plain with salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic. Yes, I have grown dry beans in my garden and saved them to plant more and to cook with too.

  43. christina says

    I love Rancho Gordo and go to his store when I’m in Napa. My favorite bean of his is Marcella. It cooks up beautifully. I’ve been wanting his new book. I have his Vegetarian Recipe one and it’s quite good.

  44. Sandi says

    I love canary beans. I first tasted them prepared for breakfast by a dear friend. My husband’s family grew lentils on their farm.

  45. Tricia says

    We love Mayocoba Beans-they are so versatile. I’ve never tried to grow them, but I did try to grow cowpeas this year-they didn’t do so well

  47. bonnie baine says

    we love pinto beans, as my husband is from the south and they eat a lot of them there. i have grown them too. it’s pretty easy, but they stay in the garden a long time to dry. thanks for the give-away.

  48. Julie H says

    Pinto beans would be my favorite. I have never tried to grow dried beans in my garden. Maybe I should give it a try!

  51. April says

    I am going to be honest and say I’ve never found a bean I liked. Can’t get past the texture. That being said, my husband, adores black beans. He would love this.

  53. Tara H. says

    Black beans are my favorite. I’m having some over rice and topped with pickled onions in my lunch today. I haven’t attempted growing any.

  55. Janet says

    Pinto beans to make insta pot refried beans!!!!! And I grow a huge garden but the only beans are green!

  56. Ashley Bananas says

    Hi Mavis, My favorite beans are refried beans, black beans, and of course baked beans!!! I too am a bean lady. I have grown green beans a few times with some success. The first time I ever grew green beans I put them on the counter and my cats ate them!!! lol Thanks for having these give aways!

  57. Laura says

    I use a lot of navy beans in recipes so that would be my favorite. Have never tried to grow them, but based on the reader above’s 5 year old grandson, perhaps I should!

  58. Mona says

    My favorite beans are navy beans. I have not tried to grow beans such as these but I have left pole beans on the vine too long and ended up drying them to use as seeds the following spring.

  60. wendy panozzo says

    I love a good black bean! So many uses. I have tried going them and quickly found out that you need A LOT of vines to have any sort of yield for storing. LOVE Rancho Gordo and pretty much everything they sell.

  61. Jennifer G says

    Favorite, possibility cranberry beans, but I haven’t found a bean yet I don’t like. Never tried to grow them but have grown limas, forkhook are the best. Will try growing beans in NWA this spring which has much different soil than NEMO.

  62. Christina P says

    I love garbanzo beans but I have never tried growing them. I have never even tried the dried version, only have had the canned. Thanks.

  64. Ramona says

    Pinto beans are my favorite. I just made a pot of chili beans a few days ago. My Mom and Grandma would cook them often along with homemade Hatch green chile stew and tortillas. I’ve never grown pintos, but I have grown black beans.

  65. Toni Wood says

    Why do I have to pick a favorite? I love them all! I guess my favorite is the old fashioned butterbeans or giant Lima’s. Make a great side dish with added ham or as a main dish by adding cornbread. I could just go on and on! We have grown the Christmas Lima that were listed as speckled Lima beans on the package.

  67. Christa H. says

    My favorite dried beans are black beans. I have tried to grow them, but they took up too much space for just a little amount of dried beans once they were ready to pick. I prefer buying dried beans. I have not tried Rancho Gordo, but they look beautiful!

  68. Kristina says

    I think my very favorite is Good Mother Stallard beans, which I get from Rancho Gordo. But those Christmas Limas are awfully pretty!

  69. Lynn from NC Outer Banks says

    I love beans too! Hard to pick a favorite but I’ve come to really like black beans for their versatility. I tried growing them one summer, but they cooked in our heat when we were gone for a week 🙁 But, hope springs eternal for next year!

    Thanks Mavis!

  70. Kristi says

    My favorite are pinto beans! I have not tried growing them, would love to though. Cheap and good for you… doesn’t get much better than that.

  72. laura pote says

    black beans and pintos are at the top of my list as they are the most common to me and i have grown a few to maturity but not a winters worth by any means! the new goal is to try growing a years worth of at least one variety! that lovely book would be a real help in choosing new varieties to try!

  73. Deborah R. says

    My favorite bean would probably be cannellini, though I really love all kinds of beans and lentils. I have attempted to grow beans to dry stage but with very limited success due to bugs.

  74. Sue R. says

    My favorite bean from Rancho Gordo is Royal Corona–delicious. My favorite bean that I have grown is Old Mother Stallard–beautiful and very tasty. (Look that one up.)

  75. Lana says

    We love beans here too and if I have to choose a favorite it will be black beans. Black bean soup is a favorite of mine and I put them in so many recipes. I have not tried to grow them but I do pressure can them.

  76. Shelly W says

    I love beans! I grew up eating pinto beans often but I found different types as an adult and the difference is so amazing. My favorite though would have to be the cranberry bean. It’s sturdy but creamy, yum! I have not tried growing them…..yet.

  80. Beth says

    I know it’s boring, but my favorite is black beans. So versatile and easy. I have never tried growing them. Thanks!

  81. Kathy says

    I would have to say Anasazi beans are my favorite, although I haven’t had them in awhile. I need to start cooking my own beans again rather than relying on canned beans. But life can be complicated! Black beans are my second favorite. I haven’t even thought about growing beans, but I should!

  82. Denise B. says

    I love black beans and lots of other beans too! I have grown scarlet runner beans for the red flowers for the hummingbirds.

  83. Andrea D says

    Pretty basic black beans are preferred around here, probably because they are easy to find and very versatile, but my kids like garbanzo. Never had much luck growing them- little garden critters always seem to find them as soon as they shoot through the soil.

  84. Karen Kolb says

    I love the Hurst 15 bean soup mix so I guess that’s 15 beans, but it is my favorite! I just made some this week with the leftover ham chunks from Thanksgiving. It’s the perfect combination of salty and healthy and sweet. I have never tried to grow beans before, but I would love to sometime!

  85. Diana says

    I definitely love garbanzo beans since I love hummus! I have grown beans every year for many years, and I usually alternate the varieties so I can have fun. Cherokee trail of tears was one of my favorites to grow.

  86. suzanne says

    Love all beans but limas just happen to be my fave. We eat fridge clean out succotash variations every few weeks. I’ve grown burpee bush limas once. In greenhouse as I live in PNW. They did well but seriously not worth the room and the cost of the seed packet was more than a lb of store bought beans.

  88. Wendy C. says

    My favorite dried bean is the anasazi bean. Very easy to digest without bloating issues. I haven’t tried growing them, but I have grown pinto and black beans. I’m planning on trying to do a whole bed of pinto beans next year.

  89. Jennifer B says

    I’ve never grown beans. My fave are probably adzuki, the red beans used in Asian sweets, but garbanzo, pinto, black, navy, Lima, I love them all.

  90. Paula says

    I grow a little heirloom black bean that a neighbor gave me. All beans are a favorite. If I don’t win this I will definitely treat myself to the cookbook. Happy day.

  91. Heather Champion says

    The only dried bean I’ve ever cooked is black beans and it didn’t turn out. I’ve never tried to grow them. Both of my kids want to be vegetarian so I think learning how to cook all kinds of beans would be really useful/interesting.

  92. Lisa says

    Yes! I adore beans. We eat them every single day, especially with breakfast (beans and eggs). And yes, I’ve grown them here in Oregon. I grew Cranberry beans and black beans. Going to try a few new varieties next summer.

  93. Lori B says

    I’m pretty much on the love all beans bandwagon, but if I have to pick I guess I would say black beans are my favorite. I feel they are so versatile and I find myself adding them to many recipes just for more flavor and a protein boost. I have never tried growing beans of any kind, other than green beans.

  94. Bonnie in GA says

    Pintos are my favorite bean. I love them in burritos with sour cream, with cornbread or as a side dish.
    I haven’t tried growing them though.

  95. julie says

    Favorite to cook with are black and pinto beans because my husband will eat them. I’ve grown scarlet runner beans most years in random spots around the yard. (Anything trellis like -> next to an apple tree or chicken coop or deck.) They are fantastic hummingbird attractors!

  96. Bettina says

    I love pink beans! They are so tasty. I attempted to grow some Heirloom Bean seeds. It turns out that the squirrels and woodchucks like them as much as I do. Those pesky little critters worked together to pull off the chicken wire cages I had put over top of them to protect them. The critters ate everything – beans, leaves, and roots!

  97. Yvonne Mendez says

    Being from a Spanish family, we LOVE beans and they are part of our regular diet. My favorite bean is the red kidney bean but a close second is the pigeon pea which we use predominantly in our “arroz con gandules” dish which is spanish rice with pigeon peas and its so so good. If its not on our table every single holiday (and then some!), it ain’t a holiday! I’ve never tried to grow beans or much of anything else to be honest. Love your blog and follow regularly.

  98. Mary G says

    My favorite bean of all time would be dry black beans. They are super versatile and I used them on a regular basis all year round, but I’ve never attempted to grow them.

  99. Sarah says

    I like most beans that I’ve tried, but I think my favorite is the versatile pinto bean. I’ve never tried growing beans to dry but I’ve cooked plenty of beans.

  101. Vicky says

    My favorite is either the navy bean or the great northern bean. Have not grown either but have grown black beans. Of course, pinto beans are the most versatile and used most often here. Thanks for the giveaway – the cookbook looks wonderful!

  102. Rebekah says

    My favorite bean is pinto beans cooked in the crockpot with lots of cumin and then mashed to make bean burritos or enchiladas. I have never tried planting any type of bean here in the south but my grandmother had a huge garden in Iowa and she had success with many types of beans. That black Midwest dirt helped, I’m sure.

    Thanks for the giveaway and for your blog, Mavis:)

  104. Julie says

    My favorite is pinto beans. Nothing beats a pot of pinto beans with ham along with a skillet of cornbread with green onions on the side. Takes me back to my childhood.

  106. Rita says

    Shuck Beans…aka…Leather Britches (How to say you’re from the Appalachia without saying you’re from Appalachia! ) Growing up my dad always had a garden, but sadly I didn’t get his green thumb.

  107. Honeybee says

    I love beans. Thanks to a post by you several years ago I buy beans in Costco size bags.
    My favorite is pintos. They are so versatile.
    I have grown scarlett runner for the vines and flowers. We steamed and ate the bean pods fresh off the vine.
    I have been wanting to try Rancho Gordo. I bet I can find them in a specialty grocery store.

  108. Elizabeth Inderski says

    I love navy beans for ham and bean soup with rivels. Always happy to have a ham bone and scraps to throw in the dried beans along with chopped carrots, celery and onions–don’t forget the bay leaf!

  109. Pam says

    Black beans are my favorite. I could eat black bean tacos every week! I’ve never tried growing g them.

    • Nancy says

      Favorite I guess would be pinto. I’m made bean soup with dried beans and grew several kinds of green beans, never dried. Now we’ve moved to the city and no more big garden! I’ve looked up Ranch Gordo beans before and they are so beautiful-but never tried.

  111. Emily says

    Pinto beans are my favorite dried bean because they’re so pretty before cooking. I’ve never grown them. The closest I’ve ever come to growing dried beans is saving seeds from my green beans to plant the next year.

  112. Susan says

    I love Scarlet Runner Beans! I had a friend grow them several years ago and tried growing some last year. My garden has been lacking (I blame old seeds, NOT my skills…..ok, it’s most likely my skills, or lack there of)

  114. Mary Van Keuren says

    I love all beans, but black beans are great for soup. I grew them for the first time this year but haven’t tried them yet, because they’re still drying out in the garage. I have high hopes for some great soups this winter!

  116. Sue Earnest says

    I love dried red or green lentils. I’ve never grown any beans to dry but did grow one kidney beans this year from seeds my neighbor gifted me. They didn’t grow!

  117. kathy brown says

    Oooooo that’s a hard one, ‘cause growing up in south Louisiana it’s customary to have red beans and rice every Monday. Since Monday was typically wash day, you could put a big pot of red beans on the stove and let them cook all day without having to tend to them while washing all your clothes and bed linens. So, long story short, I guess the Camelia brand red bean!

  118. Sharon L Thompson says

    I think Anasazi beans are my favorite. I just love the color!
    We grew some scarlet runners, but they didn’t do well here (northern Nevada).
    Have a great holiday!

  120. Mary Kerns says

    I was raised on navy beans and they are still my favorite. I have tried growing beans here in Port Orchard but have not had much luck. I do grow and can green and yellow fresh beans.

  121. Melinda Beasley says

    Love dried pintos and large limas. I have planted the dried pintos from the store and harvested them to use as green beans. Delicious.

  122. Chis M says

    I love lots of beans. My favorite is a huge white bean I ate in Slovakia. Unfortunately, I don’t know the exact variety but think a cross between a fava and a butter bean. I have not tried to grow a dried bean!

  123. John Christiansen says

    I love pinto beans. I use them in any chili I make! No i never tried to grow pinto beans but have grown green beans.

  124. Cenith Murray says

    My mother (who would be 93) talked about growing scarlet runners as a young woman in coastal SC. I would love to try them.

  125. Darlene Owen says

    I love Navy beans as I make bean soup when I have a ham bone.
    I have a big garden but have never tried growing beans (I do grow green beans).

  126. Arbie Goodfellow says

    Black Beans are my fav!
    I have not tried growing them…but now I am going to see if I can!

  127. Regan Chen says

    I love all beans, so healthy and convenient to add to almost any dish. My favorite to grow is the scarlet red runner bean, they’re so beautiful and the hummingbirds love the flowers.

  128. JulieB says

    I love most all the beans. Pinto and Great Northern are my most used. Small red beans (that is how they are labeled in NC) are favorites and I will have to grow some as I can’t find them in OK. I have grown pinto, black and purple hull peas.

  129. Michelle S. says

    I love the Myocoba beans from Rancho Gordo. They are so delicious! I have not tried to grow them yet.

  130. Mary Ann says

    I love black beans but have only grown green beans. When I was little a family friend would can creamed beans. I’m so curious what kind of beans they were

  131. Joan M Richard says

    I love beans, I have had scarlet runner beans before. Growing up we had beans and rice at almost every meal. They were a staple in the house. To this day beans and rice are my comfort food. Merry Holidays!

  134. Katherine says

    I love cannellini beans. I use them in spaghetti sauce in place of meat quite often. I’ve never tried to grow them.

  135. Donna Wade says

    I love cranberry beans. They’re so pretty, and so creamy when they’re cooked up. I did try growing them this year and got a whopping two pods with two beans each! I guess I have a lot to learn 🙂

  137. SueD says

    I’ve always loved plain green Lima beans. I wasn’t allowed to dish out the mixed veg because I would try to get them all for myself. I’ve not tried growing them yet…on the list for when the great terracing backyard project is finally done. The Christmas Lima beans look pretty!

  138. Clifford L Hawley says

    I love Calypso or orca beans. They are beautiful in black and white and taste very good cooked up. Nice and creamy texture.

  140. Cyndi Parido says

    I’ve only ever cooked dried pinto beans, which I love, but I am curious to try a different variety. I’ve only ever grown green beans.

  142. Barb Smith says

    We love black beans here. And, yes, we have grown them. Years ago we were part of growing an heirloom garden at our local nature center where we not only grew black beans but made soup with them to serve at the Fall Harvest Festival.

  144. Kayla A. says

    My favorite bean is Pinto beans. And I grew them by accident once because I let my kids use pinto beans in an outdoor sensory bin… and some of the beans found their way into my garden. I didn’t get very many come harvest time, but it was fun anyway.

  145. CynScotland says

    My favorite bean is Giant Lima Beans. I cook a great Greek dish with them and I have never tried growing them.

  146. Emily Edwards says

    Hi Mavis! My favorite bean is the black bean. I especially love black bean soup and it’s on my to do list this winter. I also like to dye yarn with them! As of yet, I’ve never grown them. Merry Christmas!

  147. Kaye Amburn says

    Give me a bowl of lima beans with ham, some diced Vidalia onion mixed in, and some fried pepper cornbread and you’ve got a happy girl. I have grown lima beans and dried them myself for some wintertime good eats.

  148. Nancy W says

    I have grown all kinds of beans but my favorite are Sorento Beans which my aunt gave me, she was given them from a friend in Italy and faithfully grew them every year. She has since passed but both my daughter and I still grow them. They are a pole bean and you can eat them green or dried.

  149. Amanda S says

    I’ve never tried growing them and I’d say my favorite is black beans. Thanks for the great giveaways!

  150. Mimi says

    I’ve grown scarlet runner beans. We eat beans nearly every day in one form or another. Love them!

  151. CP Massachusetts Bean Lover says

    My favorite (most frequently made) are garbanzo beans followed by pinto. I make a batch and freeze them in portions to add to future meals. I haven’t had the experience of growing my own- I can purchase organic bulk dried beans at a reasonable price and I have limited garden space that I utilize for ‘salad’ veggies. Thanks for the opportunity to have a chance at winning the Rancho Gordo bean book and dried beans. I’d love to have a handy reference like that book!

  152. Judi Y. says

    My daughter and I are vegetarians so we love ALL beans. If I had to pick one it would be navy beans. I have never tried to grow them because I live in Texas and the sun bakes everything even when you make a roof to put over everything.

  153. Trina says

    This is the best giveaway! I Love beans! I’m always trying to find new recipes 🙂 I also grow scarlet runner beans every year- they make a lovely teepee coving bamboo poles; my ducks love to hide in there to lay their eggs.

    • Richelle says

      Caviar criolla (black beans) are my favorites though I’ve never grown them. I’ll have to try now, though!

  154. Myra L Beauchamp says

    My all time favorite is Peruvian beans, also nown as mayocoba beans, they are so creamy they are like a pinto bean upgrade. I have grown scarlet runner beans for the humming birds they love them.

  155. Kim King says

    I love Garbanzo Beans and I try to put them in everything! I have never grown beans. Thank you Mavis,

  157. Vanessa Strawder says

    I don’t know how to choose one favorite bean!! I pretty much have never met a bean that I didn’t like! I guess I’ll say black beans because I use them the most. I have never grown any myself.

  158. Vivian says

    I just sat down to read after spending time in the kitchen. And what was the subject here? BEANS! Just as I was cooking 13 bean soup!! I LOVE bean soup and split pea soup! Comfort food extraordinaire!!

  159. Cathy D says

    Jacobs cattle an old downcast beat for Saturday supper yum. My grandparents grew them. I have not.
    Cathy

  160. Tina says

    Black turtle beans are my favorite, and I have grown them. It’s rather labor intensive, but they are sooo good!

    Thanks!

  161. Carol D says

    My favorite is the ever versatile pinto. I haven’t tried growing them. Thank goodness they are not too expensive. Growing up the only beans we had were canned – either kidney in chili or pork n beans with weenies. I learned to cook them from dried as an adult and love it, although I still keep a can or two around for quick meals on busy days.

  163. William T. Whitener says

    My favorite dried beans are Anasazi beans. I have never tried to grow them — I am a terrible gardener! But I do love beans, and particularly Anasazi’s! (I like their historical significance too.)

  164. Gigi says

    I like black beans. I do enjoy growing beans. I actually plant beans at my mailbox/planter and let them climb all over it. The previous people put a brick mailbox and planter on the wrong side of the street. So I usually do sunflowers and beans.

  165. Mary says

    My dad grew Fava beans. Mom would cook them with homemade noodles or roast them with chicken. I tried to grow them last year with no luck. I will try again in 2025. They are delicious !

  166. Dani McDevitt says

    My favorite is the black eyed pea, could eat them everyday.
    I have not tried to grow brand beans for drying but they are on my 2025 garden list.

  167. Gwyn Powers says

    I love cranberry beans and I have never tried growing them. I have had The Bean Book on my wish list for a few months. It looks wonderful.

  168. Suzette says

    Hello! My favorite dried is Cannellini and I have had wonderful success with Chinese long beans!

  169. Alecia Loveless says

    My favorite beans are pinto beans and green beans. I know that’s a different type but it’s the truth.

    The closest I’ve ever come to growing beans is green beans. Our season is so short in Northern New Hampshire that I’m somewhat limited in what I can grow!

  171. Rachel L. says

    Pinto is one of my favorites. I have never grown any dried bean but I would like to try. I’m just not sure how much space I would need to get a decent yield. I love Rancho Gordo beans and have had my eye on that book!

  172. Cindy Brick says

    Anasazi beans — because the originals came (originally) from the Anasazi ruins in this part of the country. I love feeling that I’m participating in history by using them.

    But I’m also a big fan of Hoppin’ John, so must have black-eyed peas, too. Although they’re not technically ‘beans.’

    No, have never had them in our garden. I planned to, but green beans are just too tasty.

  173. Angela says

    Cannellini beans are my absolute favorite. Never tried to grow them. Not much of a gardener sorry to say

  174. MaryB says

    This is a fabulous give away. I love beans so much! Hard to pick a favorite – black beans, navy beans, pinto beans, oh so many! I’ve never grown them. I love Rancho Gordo beans and they have so many varieties!

  175. Vicki in Birmingham says

    My favorite dried beans are Butterbeans aka Large Lima beans. I have grown Cranberry beans and green beans but have yet to try growing the butterbeans. I guess I could put that on my garden list for 2025!

  176. Elisabeth says

    Rancho Gordo Yellow Eye Beans! Delicious when prepared with just onion & garlic!
    It never occurred to me to grow them, so no, I haven’t tried.

  177. Nanci Fitschen says

    I pretty much love all beans but my favorite would be navy beans. I have only grown green beans.

  178. Mary Wong says

    I don’t have a favorite but would love to expand my bean choices. I didn’t have much luck growing beans. I think I didn’t have enough plants to make it worthwhile.

  179. Kristy Shupe says

    My favorite dried beans are kidney and black! Haven’t grown any, but I do sprout. Mung beans and lentils are weekly sprouters in my kitchen.

  181. Ginger B says

    I love pinto beans. I’ve never tried to grow beans. Rancho Gordo beans are the best. Have you joined their bean club? I was finally accepted off waitlist after 3 years but by then most of my kids had moved out and we couldn’t eat all the beans before the next quarterly shipment.

  183. Dianne says

    My favorite bean would be the garbanzo bean, very versatile. I also really like black-eyed peas (beans). So good! Of course, you need a good green like mustard or collard along with the bean.
    I love beans. But, I don’t have many good recipes. I would love that beautiful book. The only bean I have raised were members of the green bean family in my family garden.

  184. Chris says

    I’m trying to incorporate more beans in our diet. Navy beans are currently my favorite because I LOVE Senate Navy Bean soup. I haven’t tried to grow beans, that intimidates me.

  186. Allison Kitfield says

    I didn’t grow up eating beans (except my New Englander father’s B&M Baked Beans with eggs on the occasional Sunday mornings that he cooked). But the first time I tasted fresh fava beans In Italy, exquisite with only with local olive oil, was a revelation about using simple but quality ingredients. Now that I’m trying to limit meat in our diet, field peas are my fave, with oil, vinegar and chopped tomatoes and onions on top. And no, I’ve never grown either bean, but I love them nonetheless. Happy holidays, and thanks for your generous spirit.

  188. Kristie Atkins says

    October beans! I stumbled upon them a few years ago. I grew them in my garden but found them so delicious I ate all of them at every harvest and never dried any.

  189. Kathleen W says

    I love navy beans. White chili, refried or just plain cooked, yummm. I’ve tried growing black turtle beans, but wasn’t very successful, but it was worth trying and may try again.

  190. KC says

    My favorite not-dried beans are burgundy bush beans. Favorite dried beans are black beans.

    We dried home-grown beans for seed a couple of years in a row, but haven’t ever grown beans with the intention of enough dried beans to eat (those were yard long/asparagus beans, which were not a hybrid; also if you miss one, they dry nicely on the vine and save well year to year, as long as the Cowpea Curculio hasn’t dropped an egg in each bean segment).

  192. Sue says

    Red (green or black? No thanks!) lentils are my favorite.
    And contest or no, I must point y’all to the best red lentil soup recipe in the universe:
    https://www.acedarspoon.com/moroccan-red-lentil-soup/

    I’ve never tried growing beans, mostly because my parents didn’t, I think.
    I’ve heard heaps about Rancho Gordo and would feel lucky to be able to try them.

  193. Patricia Lewis says

    My favorite beans are butter beans because they’re so creamy inside. I haven’t tried growing them…yet!

  195. Doni B. says

    Black beans are a favorite! Unfortunately I can’t grow anything in my tiny apartment. But I bet it would be fun!

  196. Sharon H says

    I like borlotti beans, also known as cranberry beans. They are such a pretty red and white color. They are very easy to grow and I have had success with them the past 4 years. I love looking at them in a glass container and then putting them in soup in the middle of winter! Thanks for offering a giveaway!

  198. Bette Davis says

    I love mayokoba beans, and I have never tried growing them. I am, however, adept at scooping them out of the bulk food bin at WinCo.

  201. Tracy L. says

    Probably black beans. But cannellini are a very close second. This year was my first time growing beans. I grew navy, cannellini and black beans. I can only grow in pots in my yard, and fought the wildlife trying to germinate. But once they germinated I was able to grow them. The black beans did far better than the other two. But I will keep trying.

  202. Lindi Turnipseed says

    Great Northern Beans are my favorite and I confess….baked beans with brown sugar are my go to with a lot of dinners!!!! No I have not tried to grow any! LOL!!!

  203. Claudia Mc says

    Oh I am all about the Cannellini beans! YUMMMM! I haven’t tried growing them but funny you ask because I planned on it next growing season!

    Great giveaways! and thank you for still posting!!

  205. Carol S says

    Cannellini beans are my favorite with black beans a close second. I have never tried to grow beans.

  206. Debbie E. says

    It’s hard to pick a favorite! I think I have a three way tie between cannellini, kidney, and scarlet runner. I have never grown dried beans and I’m pretty sure I have a black thumb or close to it. I have only successfully grown carrots, peppers, thyme, and basil. Every year I lose lots of money trying to grow tomatoes and I have foolishly refused to give up.

  208. Mary says

    I love beans and would love to win this. My favorite is a toss up between black beans (refried beans) and chickpeas (hummus). I make both weekly. I have never tried to grow either, just green beans (which I also love). This book and the beans look wonderful. Thank you for the offer.

    And I love your buoy decorations!

  209. Kay Bowles says

    I love black eyed peas and I have a recipe that is so good that it will bring a tear to your eye. Even black eyed pea haters become converts after trying this recipe. Actually, I love all beans but this recipe still holds the #1 position!

  211. Becka says

    We are a bean-eating household. I would have to say my favorite is great northern beans. I have never tried growing them.

  212. Kate in PGH says

    We eat a lot of black beans, they are definitely up there with the garbanzo beans as our favorites. I have grown black beans the past 2 years, one as a bush bean and the other climbing. We got a better yield to space ratio from the climbing beans. But I would have to plant an entire field to grow enough for our needs.

  213. Kim Baggett says

    Garbanzo beans are our favorite but I have never grown them or any other type of bean. We smoke them and then make hummus!

  215. Kathy G says

    I love cranberry beans. They are so versatile. Christmas Limas are very good too. The only beans I’ve grown are green beans. We usually plant a pole variety and a bush variety.

  216. Mrs. M says

    Butter beans! But, I haven’t grown them.
    Butter beans don’t seem very popular in the south… it’s all pinto and black beans (which I also like).

  217. Carolin says

    My favorites are the big white Gigantes from Greece. They get really soft when cooked and make a great stew full of mediterranean flavors. The only beans I have grown so far were green beans. Have a great Christmas time!

  219. JulieP says

    Oh my goodness what a pretty book! I find chick peas or garbanzo beans the most versatile but we love all beans so good for us and tasty too!

  220. JulieP says

    Forgot to add I have grown pinto beans, butter beans and kidney beans for drying and eating during the winter. We grow french and runner beans too

  221. Amber says

    We love a pot of pinto beans with a meaty ham bone:) never have grown them, but love the idea!

  222. Shana Price says

    It would have to be navy beans. Though it’s a hard decision because I love beans, as well. I’m going with navy since I do love a meaty ham hock and navy bean soup.
    You know, it’s never occurred to me to try and grow them. So no, I have not.

  224. Sue says

    I would have to say Pinto Ben’s are my fav. They are easily accessible and versatile. I have tried growing beans with some success. I even tried canning them once but didn’t know you had to use a pressure cooker so my cans exploded!! Lesson learned.

  225. Erica says

    I love Black Beans but have never tried growing them, maybe I should. I wonder how well they grow in Maine ?

  226. Dianna says

    My favorite dried bean that I have tried is garbanzo beans. I’ve have never even thought to grow them, but think I’ll look it up and see if it’s even possible here!

  227. Lissa from Boise says

    Lima beans are my favorite. I have a pot of Christmas Limas in my fridge right now. I have never tried to grow limas. I LOVE Rancho Gordo!

  228. Christie says

    I regularly eat black eyed peas and black beans, pretty generic so would love to try something new. I have never tried to grow them.

  229. Christine says

    My favorite beans are baked beans. LOL

    I have never tried to grow dried beans. Although we have saved bean seed for planting which is pretty much the same thing. I guess will have try eating some of our seed.

  230. Rain says

    I love Rancho Gordo beans. My favorite basic bean are cranberry beans. They are creamy and delicious.

  231. Carol Ann O'Connell says

    My gardening skills are not the greatest so growing beans has not been very successful. I do love all beans but if I have to pick a favorite it would be kidney beans. I love adding them to homemade chili!

  232. Alli Aplet says

    Lima beans are my favorite and yes, I have tried growing them. I struggle to have the patience to harvest them though!

  233. Nicky Crouse says

    Hi Mavis, I love your blog, and this is the first time I have ever commented. But you had me at BEANS! I love them also, in fact I have a crockpot of them cooking right now, cannellini with,diced tomatoes, carrots and onion all from our garden. My husband grows at least 10 rows of dry beans every year. A few of my favorites are, red hidatsa, 1500 yr. old cave beans, and bingo. It’s so nice to walk in the pantry and see all the qt. jars of beans on the shelves. YUM

  234. Laura says

    I love great northern beans the most. I’ve only grown green beans and limas but I going to do a three sisters garden in the spring. I already bought the seeds so I’m ready to go when it’s warm.

  235. Pat says

    I grew up eating Great Northern beans and they are still my husband’s favorite. While I still love them, I’ve expanded my favorites list to include dark red kidney beans, black beans and lentils. But I’ve really never met a bean I didn’t like. The only dried beans I’ve tried growing were black beans – easy peasy!!!

  236. Robin Martin says

    I have grown Black turtle beans ( Baker Creek)and love them!
    They are so easy to dry, and produce an abundance of beans!

  237. Tina Davis says

    My favorite beans are black beans. We have grown scarlet runner beans. The hummingbirds love the flowers. Dried and stored them. Have not tried them yet!

  239. Rhonda R. Relyea says

    I love so many types of beans, but green beans are my favorite. We grew them this summer after not growing them for many years. Nothing better than fresh green beans right from the plant! My dogs love them raw and cooked, too!

  240. Shelley G. says

    I love all beans, but I find black beans to be the most versatile. I’ve never tried growing them.

    P.S. Thanks for the fun giveaways, Mavis!

  241. W.Jean Sisk says

    I’d have to say pinto beans are my favorite bean of all time. I have never tried to grow beans unless you count green beans. lol

  242. Anissa says

    I love the Rosemary White Bean Soup Katy the NCA often makes. So let’s go with white beans, but pinto are a close second. I have not tried more exotic varieties but I too love beans!!!

  243. Anissa says

    I love the Rosemary White Bean Soup Katy the NCA often makes. So let’s go with white beans, but pinto are a close second. I have not tried more exotic varieties but I too love beans!!!

    I have grown beans but didn’t dry them well enough, so they didn’t preserve well.

  244. Amy says

    Beans, beans, good for your heart . . . hee hee!

    I would pick black beans as a favorite but I love all kinds – black eyed peas too but not sure those count!

    I have never tried to grow them!

  245. Louise says

    Cannellini beans are my favorite! I add them to soups, store bought canned and homemade, it doesn’t matter … makes them more nutritious and delicious!

  246. Taryn Dillon says

    My favorite beans are garbanzo, I use them in so many ways, even to make vegan mayo.
    I’ve never even thought to growing them since I always thought it was too cool where I live.

  247. Mary McGuire says

    I love dried green peas for split pea soup. I’m not much of a gardener (although likely moving to a place with a bigger yard in 2025), and have never tried to grow them. Fingers crossed!

  248. Katie Ann King says

    I love lentils, do they count?? If not, then black beans. 😉 I’ve only grown green beans. That’s not true, I’ve grown christmas beans before and scarlet runner beans, mostly because they’re pretty!

  249. KT says

    I like pinto beans but have never tried growing them. I have only grown blackeyed peas, Lima beans and green beans. I have wondered if I could plant all the beans from a bag of store bought 15 Bean Soup mix. Maybe I’ll try it!

  250. Aleksandra says

    I’ve found garbanzo beans to be the most versatile, and I can enjoy them at different levels of “doneness.” I have never tried growing them; not sure they’d do well in the Texas heat.

  251. Lori says

    My favorite bean is dragon tongue beans. I have grown them in the past. They are very easy to grow. You can eat them raw when they are young. You can cook them by sautéing them. When we get tired of eating them that way I let them dry on the vine then shell them and cook the beans like you would black beans or pintos. They are so good! Love them.

  252. kari says

    i love all beans, but if i had to choose 1 it would be the kidney bean. I have never grown them though! maybe someday

  254. Beth says

    Awesome giveaway! Because of your website I buy lots of beans from
    Rancho Gordo aaand I joined the Bean Club but I don’t have this book! Favorite bean…I love all Rancho Gordo but Chiapas Black Beans are especially awesome. I have not tried to grow beans except green beans.

  255. Sarah S. says

    I love a good white bean. But honestly all beans are amazing. Especially in a vegan household. We love to garden but beans are definitely one we just haven’t had the patience to grow yet.

  256. Anita Morton says

    I like pinto beans the best! I have never tried to grow them though. Perhaps next summer I may give it a try.

  257. Jen says

    My favorite bean depends on what I’m making. Lima beans for soup and honestly whatever I have for everything else. If I could grow beans I would.

  259. Peggy Lannon says

    Love black-eyed peas. Have not tried growing them but I have shelled too many to count and have canned them. I could eat them every day!!!

  260. Meg Tebo says

    This may be an unpopular opinion, but I love a good Lima bean. Haven’t tried growing them, but have considered it. I’m a bit worried about the drying and cooking phase. Wouldn’t want to poison myself.

  263. Michelle in Idaho says

    My favorite bean is the Great Northern White bean, for making “Senate Ham Hock and Bean Soup”. I have never grown them.

  266. Amy H says

    Love, Love, Garbanzo Beans! Fresh hummus is one of my favorites!
    I have only attempted growing green beans in the garden but it was a fail. I think I planted too late and it got too hot earlier than expected. But I will try again!

Mavis Butterfield
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No feed found.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.