Beans Month is celebrated every year during July. An entire month has been kept aside to celebrate this humble food that can be eaten in many ways — delicacies can be made by boiling, simmering, and currying beans, which can be served either hot or cold. Beans are usually served for breakfast, but it’s not unusual to include a side of beans in your lunch or dinner either. Rich in nutrients, easy to cook, and delicious, beans make for a wholesome food ingredient. It is a common ingredient in English, French, Mexican, and Italian cuisines.
History of Beans Month
Not much is known about the origins of baked beans, but needless to say, it has become one of the most popular breakfast food of all time. In some of the earliest recipes, baked beans were made in earthen pots with maple syrup, which would sometimes include venison meat and bear fat. However, the closest relative to the baked beans that we eat today is the one that originated in southern France. It used tarbais beans, flageolet, or cannellini beans. The English colonizers brought this recipe to America.
Today in America, baked beans are usually made with a type of haricot bean known as navy beans, which are commonly found in South America. Orthodox Christians started tinning baked beans since cooking was prohibited during the sabbath, and they could simply eat previously cooked beans for Sunday supper. As is with any recipe, baked beans too changed their form and flavor as they moved from one community to the other. People played around with the type of beans and used different fruits and vegetables to make the sauce. The first canned beans came about in the 18th century, when the HJ Heinz Company started canning them for a longer shelf life.
Baked beans arrived in the U.K. as a luxury item, but gradually became a regular feature on the English plate. Beans Month was started by the Michigan Bean Commission to get more and more people to enjoy the delicacy. Thanks to its great taste and many nutritional qualities, people around the world have warmed up to beans in their daily diet.
Beans Month timeline
English colonists bring baked beans to America.
Baked beans arrive in Canada through cookbooks.
HJ Heinz Company starts selling canned beans.
They find a place among breakfast foods worldwide.
Beans Month FAQs
Is there a National Baked Bean Day?
National Baked Bean Day is celebrated on July 4.
Is it good to eat beans every day?
Beans are a great source of fiber. Fiber helps keep you regular and seems to protect against heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and digestive illness.
How long does a bean plant produce beans?
Pole beans need their vines to grow. They will produce for a month or two if you keep harvesting.
Beans Month Activities
Eat beans
The obvious way to celebrate Beans Month is by including beans in your meals. Add it to your breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or even snack on it when you are hungry!
Try a new recipe
Switch up your regular baked beans by experimenting with the recipe – try a new kind of bean or sauce and serve it with your favorite bread on the side.
Discover new beans
There are so many types of beans — kidney, garbanzo, pinto beans, and more! Find out more about the beans that are usually eaten in your community.
5 Facts About Beans That Will Blow Your Mind
They bring good luck
Newlywed couples in Nicaragua are given beans for good luck.
There’s a National Bean Day too
It’s celebrated each year on January 6.
They are very versatile
Beans are also used to make jewelry, furniture, beanbag chairs, toys, and musical instruments.
They can grow surprisingly long
The world’s largest bean pods can grow up to five feet long.
They’ve been around for a long time
Beans have been cultivated by humans for 6,000 years.
Why We Love Beans Month
It’s everyone’s favorite
We love Beans Month because it celebrates everyone’s favorite dish — baked beans. Or really, beans in any form!
It reminds us that nutritious food can be tasty
We often tend to think that we need to give up delicious food in order to eat healthily. Beans Month reminds us that you can still have nutritious meals without compromising on taste.
It brings us closer
Since almost every culture consumes beans in some form or the other, Beans Month is a great way to try new recipes and marvel at our shared culinary roots. Go ahead and swap out those recipes.
Beans Month dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | July 1 | Saturday |
| 2024 | July 1 | Monday |
| 2025 | July 1 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | July 1 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | July 1 | Thursday |
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