sf wrote:

> IMO: multi-bean mixes were around a long time before they were
> packaged commercially.

I'd agree with that. My totally-unsupported guess is that somebody wanted to
make soup one day but didn't have enough of any one bean variety, so he or
she used up odds and ends of the various dried beans in the pantry. Other
people liked the soup, and the recipe entered into common usage.

Bob