Buy now
We've teamed up with Hodmedod on shipping of our orders - click above to order. If you opt in to marketing when ordering you will also be subscribed to the Heirloom Bean Co newsletter.
Flor de Mayo 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.
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.
Our 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
We’re pleased to announce that all our Mexican beans are fairly traded, following an agreement signed during The Heirloom Bean Co’s tour of the farms that grow them last year.
Farmers are increasingly reluctant to plant heirloom varieties: they have a longer growing period (things can/do go wrong with the weather), and local consumers are reluctant to pay more.
Advance payments (as on offer from our supplier) are only half the story: we met one farmer whose field and its bean crop was simply washed away in a freak storm, which made repaying an advance hard.
Under our agreement, The Heirloom Bean Co pays 15% on top of the farmgate price for beans. This money goes into a separate bank account and acts as an ‘insurance’ for crop losses which are no fault of the farmers.
Buy now
We've teamed up with Hodmedod on shipping of our orders - click above to order. If you opt in to marketing when ordering you will also be subscribed to the Heirloom Bean Co newsletter.
Flor de Mayo 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.
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.
Our 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
We’re pleased to announce that all our Mexican beans are fairly traded, following an agreement signed during The Heirloom Bean Co’s tour of the farms that grow them last year.
Farmers are increasingly reluctant to plant heirloom varieties: they have a longer growing period (things can/do go wrong with the weather), and local consumers are reluctant to pay more.
Advance payments (as on offer from our supplier) are only half the story: we met one farmer whose field and its bean crop was simply washed away in a freak storm, which made repaying an advance hard.
Under our agreement, The Heirloom Bean Co pays 15% on top of the farmgate price for beans. This money goes into a separate bank account and acts as an ‘insurance’ for crop losses which are no fault of the farmers.
