Basque Tolosa Purple Beans, 400g

These Alubias de Tolosa or Basque Purple Beans are grown by Patxi Ormaetxea in the verdant terraces of inland Euskadi. These new season beans were harvested in October 2020 and their freshness means they only need simple cooking. Delicious served with Guindilla chillies. 

Cooking your beans

Soak the beans until they are plump and smooth. Usually, 12 hours is enough. Sometimes you may need a few hours more, particularly if the beans are a bit older. In warm weather refrigerate the soaking beans.

When the beans are soaked, rinse and put in a heavy cook pot and cover well with fresh water. Bring the beans to a boil, reduce heat to very low and cover. Simmer gently until tender - usually for 60-80 minutes. NB Should you find the beans are simmering too hard, you can “shock” them (slow things down) with the addition of a little cold water.

Cooking times vary due to the age of the beans, water hardness and how gently the beans are simmered. Once you’ve cooked them a couple of times you'll get to know them.

Please note: Heirloom beans can reach optimum tenderness relatively quickly so keep an eye on them!