We've started cleaning our new bean called Silvia. It's a Flor de Junio bred for drought tolerance and it's "all that" and more!
Flor de Junio (or June Flower) are one of the most sought after beans in Michoacan, a state that knows its beans. Both Flor de Mayo (with its decorative spots) and Flor de Junio (with its decorative pink swirls) are preferred over pintos and blacks. I think the food in the region is second to none, especially if you can find some traditional Purepecha indigenous dishes.
The bean itself stays whole but you bite into and it seems to melt in your both with creamy bean goodness. And yet it's as light as the wings of a migrating Monarch butterfly! (They go down to Michoacan, you know.)
The problem with these beans is that they don't age well. In fact, they become rather pedestrian (and dark) after about a year under optimal circumstances and even less if stored haphazardly. This crop came out of the ground July 2009 and if you store it in a dark cool pantry will be fine for awhile but we have a limited amount so we not think of the Flor de Junio like Nouveau Beaujolais, ramps, figs or some other seasonal treat. Enjoy them now while you can!
These come from a farmer in Guanajuato and once they're gone, that's it.
I have to say "shhhh!" because we're way behind on bagging beans thanks to our dramas with the health department. We have them, we're a little behind so I'm announcing them here among dedicated friends before the big push with our email newsletter.
Order Silvia here.
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