The Bean Book from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen
The Bean Book from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen
From Steven Sando, the founder of...
From £30.00 GBP
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Dusky‑pink Flor de Mayo beans from central Mexico, appreciated for their gentle nuttiness, soft floral notes and their natural affinity for chilli and herb‑driven dishes. The Heirloom Bean Co sources these Phaseolus beans from Mexican bean and authentic food specialist La Comandanta, working to revitalise traditional Mexican agriculture by preventing the loss of native seeds, as well as ancestral cooking and cultivation processes. |
Flor de Mayo ("Mayflower") beans are named for their soft rose‑coloured skins, long associated with central Mexican markets and home kitchens. They cook to a smooth, cohesive creaminess that thickens sauces naturally. Their flavour leans nutty and slightly floral, making them ideal with roasted chillies, tomato bases, herbs, citrus and slow‑cooked vegetables.
Working with La Comandanta
The Heirloom Bean Co has forged a new partnership with Mexico City’s La Comandanta, a business working to identify, rescue and promote authentic Mexican foods grown and made by rural producers using traditional farming and culinary methods. Through this partnership The Heirloom Bean Company is now fairly trading heirloom beans grown by smallholder farmers and processed and packed in Mexico.
La Comandanta’s motto Cocina una Revolución ("Cook a Revolution") describes their ethos that eating authentic food is an act of cultural and agricultural resistance to mainstream agrifood corporations. They’re committed to fair and transparent trade, and supporting social and economic development.
A key concern is the seed diversity and agricultural heritage of Mexico, with Bolivia one of two centres of genetic diversity of the Phaseolus bean species. La Comandanta aims to revive traditional Mexican farming and save heirloom varieties from extinction. Many farmers have stopped growing these varieties for lack of access to fair markets and fear of crop failure. To encourage and support them La Comandanta pays a fair price for crops and offers advance loans at the time of sowing.
The Heirloom Bean Co has visited many of the farmers growing beans to understand the challenges they face and pays an additional 15% premium over the farmgate price into a fund to cover the loans in case of any crop failure. As beans fall outside the usual commodities covered by fair trade labelling schemes the Heirloom Bean Co has introduced its own Fairly Traded emblem to communicate their partnership of trading fairly.
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Kitchen Suggestions
Use them in a tomato and guajillo base enriched with garlic and coriander roots, or mix with roasted shallots, thyme and a little olive oil for something more European. They’re excellent with charred peppers, lime and fresh oregano, or folded into slow‑cooked vegetables with smoked chilli and a touch of lemon zest to lift their gentle, nutty sweetness.
Cooking these beans
Look over the beans to remove any stray bits, then rinse well. In a heavy pot, gently cook your base vegetables - onion, garlic, celery, carrot - in a little olive oil until fragrant. Add the beans and pour in enough water to cover them by roughly 5 cm. Bring to a strong boil for 10–15 minutes. Lower the heat to maintain a slow, steady simmer, partially covering the pot to keep the temperature even, and cook until the beans are fully tender, usually 1–3 hours. Add salt once the beans begin to soften. A short soak of 2–6 hours will help reduce the total cooking time.
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Ingredients
Flor de Mayo Beans
Further info
Tasting notes: Beautiful pinkish interior, creamy texture
Similar to: Cranberry, Pinto, Ojo de Cabra
Latin name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Country of origin: Mexico
Sold in resealable 500g bags
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Typical values Per 100g Energy 1397kJ (334kcal) Fat 1.0g of which saturates 0.2g Carbohydrate 53g of which sugars 1.3g Fibre 14g Protein 17g Salt 0.01g
