Bean Count Contest #18

How many beans in this jar?

There are 5 types of beans:

• Navy
• Mung
• Red
• Pinto
• Black

The Rules

• The jar of beans is at the plant-based booth at the Davis Farmers' Market every Saturday (weather permitting) from 8:00-1:00 in the non-profit/community area.
• It is free to guess (estimate) the number of beans in the jar. You can update your guess by submitting another one.
• The contest will end when there are more than 70 or 80 guesses. It will then take a little while to carefully count the beans.
• The 3 guesses that are closest (above or below) to the final count will win the prizes. Ties will be resolved by a complex objective algorithm and (if needed) a coin toss. The winners will be notified and the results will be posted on this web site.
• Everyone will receive a message - win or lose.

The Prizes

1. $50 Gift Certificate at the Co-op at 620 G Street
2. $30 Gift Certificate at the Co-op at 620 G Street
3. Your choice of several plant-based cookbooks.

Plant-based Cookbooks

• Plant-based Cooking for Kids - Faith Goimarac Ralphs
• The Help Yourself Cookbook for Kids - Ruby Roth
• The Great Vegan Bean Book - Kathy Hester
• Cool Beans - Joe Yonan
• Forks Over Knives, The Cookbook - Del Sroufe

The Guesses (aka Estimates)

Several people carefully analyzed, counted, measured, and multiplied. Others made a 'wild ass guess' by gut instinct and intuition. Estimation is a difficult art.

Bar graph of the guesses:

< 100 *
< 125 **
< 150 **
< 200 *
< 225 *******
< 250 *****
< 275 *****
< 300 *
< 325 *****
< 350 ****
< 375 *******
< 400 *****
< 425 **********
< 450 *******
< 475 ******
< 500 ******
< 525 ********************
< 550 *****
< 575 ****
< 600 *****
< 625 *
< 650 ****
< 675 *****
< 700 ****
< 725 **
< 750 ******
< 775 ****
< 800 ***
< 875 *
< 900 **
< 950 *
< 975 **
<1000 **
<1075 **
<1125 *
<1225 ***
<1250 *****
<1350 **
<1375 **
<1475 *
<1525 *
<1725 **
<1825 *
<2125 *
<2425 *
<2450 *
<2575 *
<3025 *
<3125 *
<3450 *
<6725 *

Here are all the guesses - with people's names abbreviated to the first 3 characters of their first and last names.

In guess numerical order

In alphabetical order by name

The Final Count

Navy	23
Mung	408
Red	101
Pinto	254
Black	296
Total	1082

The Winners

Off By	Guess	Name	Prize
31	1113	Erika Wheeler	$50 Gift Certificate at the Co-op at 620 G Street
32	1050	Samantha Garcia	$30 Gift Certificate at the Co-op at 620 G Street
32	1050	Andrew	Your choice of several plant-based cookbooks.

The Beans and Recipes

The navy bean is a variety of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) native to the Americas, where it was first domesticated. It is a dry white bean that is smaller than many other types of white beans, and has an oval, slightly flattened shape. The plants that produce navy beans may be either of the bush type or vining type, depending on the cultivar. The name "Navy bean" is an American term coined because the US Navy has served the beans as a staple to its sailors since the mid-1800s. I Heart Vegetables: Navy Bean Soup

Mung

Mung beans (Vigna radiata) are small green beans in the legume family that have been cultivated since ancient times. Native to India, they later spread to China and various parts of Southeast Asia. These beans have a slightly sweet taste and are sold fresh, as sprouts, or as dried beans. They're highly nutritious and versatile, typically eaten in salads, soups, and stir-fries. 101 Cookbooks: 10 Recipes with Mung Beans

Red

Latina Nutrition: Red Beans vs Kidney Beans Tasting Table: Red Beans vs Kidney Beans Mississippi Vegan: Red Beans and Rice

Pinto

This mottled pinkish bean is the most popular in the United States and parts of Mexico where it stars in frijoles refritos, borrachos (drunken beans), tacos, and burritos. My favorite restaurant for bean burritos is Taco Bell! It’s open until 3:00 am, they have nice bathrooms, internet access, and is rather inexpensive! I like to omit the cheese and add seasoned rice, lettuce, and purple cabbage. Yum!

Black

Native to the Americas and beloved in Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, and the American Southwest. Earthy and meaty, they turn everything they touch an inky purplish black. Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Questions?