Organic Rojo Chiquito Beans

Grown by Hanna and Peter Martens Farm in Penn Yan, NY.

This small red bean became available as a variety after a collaborative effort of breeders in Washington and Michigan looking for a smaller red bean more typical of Central American cuisine that could hack it in northern latitudes.

This meant selecting for demonstrated disease resistance andan upright growing habit to keep the plants off the ground in longer wetter growing seasons. The beans are about 1/3 smaller than other “small red beans” in that USDA class. They stay firm and keep their color after cooking better than most other red bean varieties.

The beans do well in a simple red beans and rice preparation. Whether you’re angling for a meal of habichuelas rojas guisadas, pois et riz collé, or a New Orleans style red beans and rice, these will do you right. Maria del Mar Cuadra has a simple recipe for Gallopinto from Nicaragua you could try these out in at Serious Eats. This is a dish I prep on Sundays to have a quick, easy, satisfying week-night dinners since ideally you’d need to cook your rice the day before to get the texture right. That said, I think the dish is still great if you cook the rice and beans the same night.