Navy bean

The navy bean, haricot, pearl haricot bean,^[1] boston bean,^[2] white pea bean,^[3] or pea bean,^[4] is a variety of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) native to the Americas, where it was domesticated.^[5] It is a small, dry white bean which is smaller than many other types of white beans, and has an oval, slightly flattened shape.^[1] It features in such dishes as baked beans,^[1] and even pies, as well as in various soups such as Senate bean soup.^[6] Unlike most canned vegetables, which lose much of their nutritive value in the canning process, navy beans maintain their nutritive value when canned.^[7]

The green bean or kidney bean plants^[2] that produce navy beans may be either of the bush type or vining type, depending on which cultivar they are.^[8]

Cultivars

Navy bean cultivars include:

• 'Rainy River',^[9]
• 'Robust', resistant to the bean common mosaic virus (BCMV),^[10] which is transmitted through seeds^[9]
• Michelite, descended from 'Robust', but with higher yields and better seed quality^[9]
• Sanilac, the first bush navy bean cultivar^[9]

Other white beans

Other white beans include:

• Cannellini (or fazolia,^[2]), a variety popular in central and southern Italy, but was first developed in Argentina.^[2] They are larger than navy beans, related to the kidney bean and, like the kidney bean, has higher levels of the toxic lectin phytohaemagglutinin. They are used in minestrone soups.^[2]
• 'Great northern', also called "large white" beans are also larger than navy beans but smaller than cannellini beans, with a flattened shape similar to lima beans. They have a delicate flavour.
• The large white beans known in Greece as gígantes (Greek: γίγαντες, giants) and eléfantes (ελέφαντες, elephants) are from the runner bean, Phaseolus coccineus.

Nutritional value

White beans are the most abundant plant-based source of phosphatidylserine (PS) yet known.^[11] It contains notably high levels of apigenin, 6993452000000000000♠452±192 µg/kg, which vary widely among legumes.^[12]

Consumption of baked beans has been shown to lower total cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.^[13][14] This might be at least partly explained by high saponin content of navy bean. Saponins also exhibit antibacterial and anti-fungal activity, and have been found to inhibit cancer cell growth.^[15] Furthermore, navy bean is the richest source of ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid among the common bean varieties.^[16]

Storage and safety

Dried and canned beans stay fresh longer by storing them in a pantry or other cool, dark place under 75 °F (24 °C). With normal seed storage, seeds should last from one to four years for replanting, with a very large timetable for cooking for well-kept seeds, nearing on indefinite. Avoid beans which are discolored from the pure white color of these beans, as they may have been poorly handled while they dried.^[17]

References