This was also my first year for planting the heirloom bean, Trail of Tears, which is basically a vining black bean. I just planted a few and I'm here to tell you these babies really put out. Next year I'm planting at least half our fence row in these. It's so exciting when you come across a new vegetable - and twice as exciting when you find it's an heirloom with an amazing history. Here is some information I picked up from the "vegetables of interest" site -
". . . in the case of Cherokee Trail of Tears Beans the story is a good one: The history of the Cherokee people in America is one of repeated and egregious betrayals on the part of the American government. The penultimate insult was the forced depopulation of the Cherokee from the Carolinas to a site near Oklahoma City during the winter of 1838. Estimates vary but hundreds, perhaps thousands, of the Cherokee died from exposure along the way. The Cherokee named this fateful and tragic journey the "Trail of Tears" and a rich lore of stories and customs honoring that experience remain to this day. One such story is that of a black bean grown by the Cherokee in the Carolinas which had no name other than "bean." It was carried by the Cherokee along their journey as a source of food and a token of hope. Once in Oklahoma it was re-named the "Trail of Tears Bean" and has been maintained by the Cherokee since that time.
In recent years the Wychee family who are direct descendants of the Cherokees who made the trip in 1838 have made the selection available to collectors. It has begun to make appearances in some heirloom seed catalogs but its vining habit will likely prevent it from ever reaching commercial production.
Trail of Tears is a vigorous handsome plant, productive of many pods that are very tasty as a fresh bean. As it matures the pods develop red and violet markings that turn into a deep violet by fall. The dried bean is small, black and flavorful. It is a wonderful foil to meats, particularly bacon and pork. It is not as sweet nor soft as other heirloom American beans such as the cranberry types but it is a fine culinary bean with a rich history."
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Today I'm canning all these peas and beans up since my freezer space is at a premium right now, though these peas and beans freeze nicely too. I handled the Trail of Tears beans the same way I handled the purple-hulled peas but I haven't had a chance to cook many of them up yet, though the few I have tasted I note have somewhat of a nutty taste, a really nice flavor. They all take awhile in the pressure canner - 75 minutes but prep is simple. We picked them after they were dried, hulled, washed them a couple times, let them soak overnight, rinsed and drained them again, put them in pint jars, then poured boiling water over the top, ran a knife around the inside to get rid of any air bubbles and put on the lids and rings and canned them.
Now concerning the purple-hulled peas, they are not difficult and they are a wonderful side dish. When I cook them up I like to put a little bacon or ham and some onion in them for a good old-fashioned country taste. We often eat them when we get a craving for old-fashioned foods. They are amazing served with cooked cabbage, fried potatoes, and pork of any kind. Can't have a New Year pass without them either!!! Not to worry, they make a nice clean dish too. They are good with a little butter or olive oil and some grated carrots and chopped onions and even a little garlic. Don't be afraid to be adventuresome. They are also wonderful when making a mixed bean soup. They blend amazingly well with beans! I'm as proud of these peas as I can be. For all of you out there - it wouldn't hurt to give 'em a shot. They are very little trouble, from beginning to end.