Alubia Blanca from North America
A small white bean with vast...
From £7.45 GBP
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A bijou little bean of many talents - come for the dense but smooth texture, stay for the superlatively rich broth! The Heirloom Bean Co sources these and a range of other Phaseolus beans from North American bean specialist Rancho Gordo, founded in the early 2000s by Steve Sando to preserve and promote traditional and rare bean varieties of the Americas. |
These distinctive pale-tan little orbs came to the northerly US state of Montana the long way. First brought to Europe from Mesoamerica as common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), they were selectively developed by north European farmers to thrive in a short growing season, re-crossing the Atlantic during the late 1800s with Swedish immigrants who settled in the upper reaches of the US. A winning blend of Old World adaptive selection and New World agricultural heritage.
Its remarkable ability to prosper and crop reliably in stunted springs and summers made the Buckeye a ‘miracle bean’, a lifesaver in the long, cold winters that followed. Today, it is hailed for its clean, sweet ‘bean-lite’ taste - the perfect bean if you think you don’t like beans. A simple bowl topped with goats’ cheese and pickles will win around the most stubborn beanophobe.
Images & cooking instructions © Rancho Gordo Inc.
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Kitchen Suggestions
Salads, soups, pot beans, casseroles, dips, baked beans, chili. That smooth, creamy texture is ideal for a comforting soup, and Buckeyes are fantastic in grain bowls - paired with quinoa or brown rice, roasted vegetables and a light vinaigrette. They’re also great as the base for a vegetarian chili blanco, a marinated salad tossed through with diced celery and a dill vinaigrette, or an indulgent dip, puréed along with anchovies and butter as a winning twist on humus.
Cooking these beans - the Rancho Gordo method
Check beans for debris, and rinse thoroughly. In a large pot, sauté aromatic vegetables (onions, garlic, celery, carrot etc.) in olive oil. Add beans and enough water to cover by about 2 inches/5cm. Bring to a full boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate the heat, and gently cook until done, 1 to 3 hours. Salt when beans start to soften. A pre-soak of 2 to 6 hours will lessen the cooking time.
Recipe ideas
Rancho Gordo’s Buckeye Beans with Pickled Shallots and Goat Cheese
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Ingredients
Buckeye Beans
Similar to: Santa Maria Pinquito, Midnight Black, King City Pink
Latin name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Country of origin: USA
Sold in resealable 1lb (453g) bags
