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We're so sorry, the Borlotti beans have all sold out already. More beans will be available very soon, including more Borlotti from a different farm. Watch this space or sign up to our newsletter to be among the first to hear.

Growing drying beans from New World species is difficult to do in the UK, certainly at any kind of scale. Each year we have very limited quantities of some special rare beans from a handful of growers.

We bother to try growing tricky beans every year because we think it should be possible to develop systems that will work for smaller scale farmers in the UK. We're just not there yet. We also think that as the climate changes crops like this may become easier to grow and a more important part of resilient systems. But things aren't quite bad enough yet... And we bother because these beans, thoughtfully grown and carefully harvested, are absolutely delicious.

These borlotti beans are a multi-purpose bean that can be harvested as a green pod to be eaten as a vegetable, as semi-dry beans for quick cooking and as dry storing beans. In the UK borlotti are often grown as a French bean, and sometimes to be eaten semi-dry, but much more rarely for drying, though doing so is increasingly feasible. The beans are at their most nutritious when fully dry, they hold their shape when cooked and add a creamy depth to soups and stews or when blended for dips.

Our current batch of borlotti beans were grown for us as part of a trial of different  bean varieties in Norfolk.

Complete Product Details

  • Cooking instructions

    Soak the beans for 6 hours. Cover with water or stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 to 50 minutes until the beans are soft. Add more water if needed.

    Notes on Cooking Dried Pulses

    Cooking times for dried pulses will be longer at higher altitudes and when cooking with hard water or older pulses. Cooked pulses can be used immediately or frozen for later use.

    Read our Pulses 101, part 2: Cooking basics - water & heat blog post for more about cooking dried pulses.

  • Ingredients

    Borlotti Beans
    May contain occasional small stones

    Allergy information

    No Allergens

  • Typical values
    (for generic Phaseolus beans)
    Per 100g
    Energy 1,427kJ (341kcal)
    Fat 1.4g
    of which saturates 0.4g
    Carbohydrate 46g
    of which sugars 2.1g
    Fibre 16g
    Protein 22g
    Salt 0g
  • A rare variety of Phaseolus bean.

    Grown in the UK.

    Suitable for vegans and vegetarians.