Bean Count Contest #5

How many beans in this jar?

There are 3 types of beans:

• Black-eyed peas
• Corona beans
• Great Northern beans

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 at 2:00 pm on August 10th. It will then take a few days to carefully count the beans.
• The 4 guesses that are closest to the actual count will win the prizes. The winners will be notified and the results will be posted on this web site.
• In September 2024 there will be another contest (with different beans).

The Prizes

1. $50 gift certificate at the Davis Food Co-op at 620 G Street.
2. $30 gift certificate at Trader Joe’s at 885 Russell Blvd.
3. Cool Beans - bean cookbook by Joe Yonan, published by Ten Speed Press in 2020.
4. The Great Vegan Bean Book - bean cookbook by Kathy Hester, published by Fair Winds Press in 2013.

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 Guesses

    <400: *
    <500: **
    <550: ******
    <600: ***
    <650: *****
    <700: *
    <750: ***
    <800: ****
    <850: *****
    <900: *
    <950: *
   <1000: *
   <1050: ******
   <1100: *
   <1200: **
   <1250: *
   <1300: *****
   <1400: **
   <1450: *
   <1550: ****
   <1600: *
   <1650: *
   <1700: *
   <1750: *
   <1800: *
   <1850: **
   <2000: **
   <2050: ****
   <2100: *
   <2150: **
   <2200: *
   <2400: **
   <2550: **
   <2650: *
   <2700: *
   <2750: **
   <2900: **
   <2950: *
   <3250: *
   <3500: *
   <3550: *
   <3600: *
   <3750: *
   <3850: *
   <4050: *
   <4150: *
   <4450: **
   <4550: *
   <4950: *
   <6050: *
   <6300: *
   <7550: *
  <10000: *
  <20200: *
 <170050: *

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

Corona	113
Black-eyed Peas	1275
Great Northern	641
Total	2029

The Winners

The next bean count contest in September 2024 will have different beans and a different jar. Come visit the booth, check it out, and make a guess.

The Beans and Recipes

One of the African cowpeas that came to America during the slave trade and are popular in the American South and West Africa. Not really a pea, it's named for its trademark circular spot on one side. It's distinctive in flavor, a little starchy, relatively quick-cooking, and the main ingredient in hoppin' John, a traditional New Year's dish; in the Nigerian stew ewa riro, and more. Black-Eyed Pea Corn Bites

Corona Beans

A huge white bean similar to the Greek gigante, it is super-creamy if you cook it long enough and can star in whatever dish you put it in. Garlicky Gigante Bean Spread

Great Northern Beans

A white bean a little larger than the navy. It is very popular and versatile, with a subtle slightly nutty flavor and starchy texture. Root Vegetable, White Bean, and Mushroom Cassoulet

Questions?