Q.Hyacinth vine
Is the Purple Hyacinth bean vine harmful to cattle if eaten?
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
The purple Hyacinthe is, indeed toxic. Most of the toxins are within the beans though. Cattle are a little less prone to being injured by the toxins, however, You should still take precaution. These beans aren't necessarily deadly, but they will cause major upset to the stomach. Please remove these from the area that the cattle can access them. Now as a side note... You can prepare these beans in such a way, as to make them edible to you. The important thing is to pick beans before they ripen into viable seeds. DO NOT CONSUME BEANS RAW! These require boiling, then turning off the heat, letting them soak for an hour. Discard the water, repeat at least three times. after the third time, cook them as you would green beans. Now, if you must consume ripe beans, make sure to follow the above process but give them an extra soaking to ensure you have removed the toxins. The flavor is unique, and the nutrition profile is quite impressive. cook as you would black beans, or pintos.
