A real favorite of ours is the Anasazi Bean.  We were first introduced to this unusual variety when our good friend Randy Hunsinger of Rushville, Ind., came back from a long-haul delivery out West.  Randy gave us a couple of 1-pound packages of the beautiful beans to try.  In short… we liked them a lot!

Not only delicious, these beans have a back story sounding like something from a Zane Grey novel, and the website Gazeout.com gives a great review of the beans history.

When it comes to campfire and kitchen cooked beans, few are as unique as the Anasazi bean. The beans are also known as the “New Mexico Cave Beans,” and are native to the Four Corners region of the American Southwest (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona).

Anasazi beans date back hundreds of years. The Anasazi people, who once lived in the Four Corners, cultivated the beans as a food crop. The people were known for their innovative farming techniques, which allowed them to thrive in a harsh desert environment. They used a sophisticated system of irrigation canals to water their crops, which included not only Anasazi beans but also corn, squash, and other vegetables.

The Anasazi people believed these beans possessed special spiritual and healing properties, and considered them a sacred food. They incorporated them into many of their traditional ceremonies. Anasazi beans were also an important trading commodity, and they were exchanged with other Native American tribes throughout the Southwest.

After the Anasazi people disappeared from the area around the year 1300, the cultivation of Anasazi beans declined. The beans fell out of use by most Native American tribes and were largely forgotten for several centuries. 

It’s been reported but undocumented, in the 1970s a group of farmers in New Mexico discovered some Anasazi beans while exploring abandoned cave dwellings in the region. The beans had been preserved for hundreds of years in the dry desert air, and they were still viable.

The farmers realized these beans had unique characteristics – they were smaller and had a distinct speckled pattern. They started to cultivate them to see if they could grow them commercially. They found the Anasazi beans were not only delicious but also hardy and easy to grow.

Soon, Anasazi beans were being marketed as gourmet beans to restaurants and food stores across the country. People were drawn to their unique look and taste, as well as their historical significance. They became a popular ingredient in many dishes, from soups and stews to salads and dips.

Cooking Anasazi beans is quite simple. They can be cooked on the stovetop, a slow cooker, or an Instant Pot. Here’s a basic recipe for preparing Anasazi beans:

Ingredients: 1 pound dried Anasazi beans; 4 cups water or broth; salt to taste

Instructions: Rinse the beans and soak them overnight in water; cover the beans with 2 inches of water in a large bowl; make sure the bowl is large enough as the beans will expand by almost twice;

Drain and rinse the beans and add them to a pot with the water or broth; bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1-2 hours, or until the beans are tender and thoroughly cooked; add salt to taste.

We season ours with a smoked ham hock and garnish with chopped onions. Accompanied by hot from the oven corn bread, they are delicious!

Fix plenty as campsite or kitchen guests will be coming back for seconds!

Wintertime Tree ID

Crown Hill Cemetery and Arboretum is partnering with the Indiana Arborist Association to host a winter tree ID workshop on December 17 from 1:30-4:00 p.m. ET. Participants will learn how to use leaf scars, bark, and other signs on the ground to identify trees in winter.

The cost of the workshop is $20, which includes general admission and a copy of the field guide, “Winter Tree Finder: Identifying Deciduous Trees of Eastern North America by Their Bark and Twigs”.

Register at: https://events.humanitix.com/winter-tree-id-workshop-at-crown-hill-cemetery/tickets?

Veterans Memorial Trail Opens In Crown Point 

On November 14, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the city of Crown Point celebrated the completion of the Veterans Memorial Trail. The 1.7-mile asphalt multi-use trail was constructed by the city of Crown Point in two phases, with help from a $2,984,252 grant administered by the DNR.

“Trails are all about making connections between people, communities, and Indiana’s great outdoors,” said Allen Hurst, DNR trails manager. “DNR is proud to support the completion of the Veterans Memorial Trail in Crown Point just days after Veterans Day. It adds to the increasing number of trails we now have across Indiana.”

Crown Point broke ground on the project’s northern section in April. The 1-mile expansion follows the old Pennsylvania Railroad in Crown Point going through the Bridgeport neighborhood, connecting to the Erie Lackawanna Trail on Summit Street. Together with the southern section finished in 2022, nearly 2 miles of paved trail is now open to the public.

“We know everyone is excited to see more connectivity on our bike trail. No matter the season, cyclists, walkers and runners are using our trails,” Crown Point Mayor Pete Land said. “We hope this expansion will mark the beginning of further connectivity in our region.”

In addition to the expanded trail, Crown Point, in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Transportation, also completed intersection improvements at Main and Summit streets and at Indiana and North streets, which included pedestrian signals at new crosswalks. The city also constructed a 26-stall parking lot near the new trail.

“When I started working with the city, the team was working on bringing the Erie Lackawanna Trail to Crown Point. It is exciting to see all the connectivity we have been able to provide to our residents and visitors. We look forward to continued bike trail connectivity in Crown Point,” said Jennie Burgess, the city’s parks director.

‘till next time,  

Jack

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication or e-mail Jack at jackspaulding1971@outlook.com 

Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.