Museum the New Llano Colony

Coffee
Coffee Substitute

"Llano Colonist," May 6, 1933 (Story of Llano)

"About this time (1927) there was developed in the colony practice a substitute for coffee, in the Jack Bean, a large white bean, growing in a mammoth pod, the latter being from six inches to ten inches long. "

"Llano Colonist," August 2, 1930

"What's going on out in the orchard? Well, they are cultivating soy beans and pop corn, also planting a lot of jack beans to plow under this fall for fertilizer."

"Llano Colonist," November 21, 1931

"Eugene Hough wrote to the Massachusetts Tech. for an analysis of the jack bean which is being used as a coffee substitute. They knew nothing of the bean, but the report said that a certain bean was being roasted and made into a chocolate-like preparation which had a nation wide sale. Hough said that the jack bean had been analyzed by chemists and shown to be a health drink."

"Llano Colonist," November 28, 1931

"There seems to be quite a demand for the jack bean coffee. It was being roasted under the direction of Mrs. Killian and her helpers. Comrade Tuber says he has a new name for it. He wants to sell it as "Beano". With the addition of powdered milk and sugar "Beano" certainly does make a fine drink, as good, indeed as some other so-called health drinks."

"Llano Colonist," February 20, 1932

"Mrs. Hewett, Sylvia Tuber and Ruth Shoemaker were shaping loaves at the bakery. Jimmie Bertino was there; Mrs. Killian was roasting beans for coffee."

"The aroma of something that smelled like coffee filled the air back of the bakeshop. Scouting around I saw Mrs. Minnie Hewett manipulating the big roaster and she showed me several trays full of roasted Jack Beans, which when ground, gives a fair semblance to coffee and is liked by many. The ground bean is made into coffee in the usual way, about half a pound to a gallon of water.

The advent of these beans is quite a godsend, as coffee is one of those things that we 'used' to have. No money to buy it. Going slow on the coffee is easily alibied these days. A revolution is on down in Brazil, and the coffee port of Sao Paulo has been closed and the bags owned by the farm board can only be disposed of at the rate of 62,500 bags a month. Hence, the difficulty of getting coffee."

"Llano Colonist," November 5, 1932

"Mrs. Baldwin sees that the Jack beans are hulled and when coffee is required, that the big seeds are properly dried. Among her helpers are Vi Dix, Esta Caves, Jimmie Bertino, former editor Carl Gleeser, and Peter Hartman, who are reliable and regular standbys."

"Llano Colonist," December 22, 1934

"The matter of coffee was brought up. General Manager Pickett said that we had been neglecting to grow "jack" beans, a coffee substitute that when browned and ground makes a hot drink much liked by many. When this was first introduced three or four years ago, it was three weeks before the diners at the cafeteria knew that coffee substitute was being served, so closely alike was it to coffee.

He said that he did not expect everyone to like "jack" bean coffee, but there are those who do and were it reintroduced, a considerable savings would be made, now that times are so tough. Ben Roe, farm manager, was asked to see that "jack" beans were planted in the spring."

"Llano Colonist," June 22, 1935

"For those who are not familiar with jack bean, this is a large white bean about twice to three times the size of a navy bean and is sometimes roasted for a coffee substitute."