Swygman Family

Pole bean, vigorous with a strong climbing tendency. White flowers. Pods yellow-white. Slightly curved, flat pods have a short beak. Pronounced constriction between seeds. Mature pods average 8" long by 0.7" wide. Suture string present. Wax bean. Standard productivity. Leathery dry pods average 7-8 seeds per pod. Large, oval, white bean; great northern type. Mid-season maturing. This heirloom bean was brought to the U.S. in 1855 by the George Swygman family when they emigrated from Ostfriesland, Germany with 25 to 30 other families of the German Reformed faith. The beans were grown by many families in this group, who eventually settled near Stewartville, Minnesota. Seeds were donated to SSE in about 2006 by 86 year old Emily Hoffman of Chatfield, MN. She recalled that her mother grew the beans during Emily's childhood in the 1920s and 30s. Emily later grew them herself, but lost her seed stock. Fortunately, she secured seeds again in about 2000 from Donald Smidt of Rochester, MN. Donald's grandparents were Ulfort and Gertrude (Russman) Smidt, who had originally immigrated with the group of German families. The beans seeds were passed down to Don's mother, Alice, then to Don in the early 1960s. He has grown then ever since. After the pods reach maturity, Don picks them and strings them on a string to hang indoors and finish drying, similar to how his grandmother Gertrude hung them in her attic to dry. Alice would can or cold pack the beans to preserve them. She also pickled the beans in the green stage, resulting in a taste similar to sweet bread & butter pickles. SSE Accession # 105714