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Rancho Gordo dried San Franciscano Bean
Cooked Rancho Gordo San Franciscano Bean topped with herds and onions.
San Franciscano, a small dark red bean with black marketings - Rancho Gordo, Heirloom beans
Rancho Gordo cooked San Franciscano Bean

San Franciscano Bean

$ 7.25
Title

Free shipping on orders $50+

Description
Pinto flavor with a denser texture, these heirlooms from Mexico have hints of coffee and chocolate. San Franciscano beans produce a dark, rich bean broth. 
Suggestions: Refried beans, soups, pot beans, chili, casseroles

From the state of Hidalgo (and sometimes seen in Puebla), these lilac-and-black marked beans are probably a very near cousin to what we've grown as Rio Zape. Like Rio Zape, they have a luxurious pot liquor (bean broth) with hints of coffee and chocolate. San Franciscanos have a sturdier skin, making them more versatile and usable in salads and composed dishes as well.

You can use them in chilis, soups, salads and stews but we think the best way to enjoy them is plain, and pass around the salsas and garnishes like grilled onions, grilled cactus paddles, limes, Mexican oregano and fresh cheese.

Latin name: Phaseolus vulgaris

THE RANCHO GORDO-XOXOC PROJECT
These items are the results of our two companies working together to help small farmers and producers continue to grow their indigenous products in Mexico, despite international trade policies that seem to discourage genetic diversity and local food traditions.

Product of Mexico. Produced in Mexico under the supervision of the Rancho Gordo-Xoxoc Project.

 

Cooking Suggestions

Check beans for debris, and rinse thoroughly. In a large pot, sauté aromatic vegetables (onions, garlic, celery, carrot, etc.) in olive oil. Add beans and enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a full boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate the heat, and gently cook until done, 1 to 3 hours. Salt when the beans start to soften. A pre-soak of 2 to 6 hours will lessen the cooking time.

Cooking Instructions

Check beans for debris, and rinse thoroughly. In a large pot, sauté aromatic vegetables (onions, garlic, celery, carrot, etc.) in olive oil. Add beans and enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a full boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate the heat, and gently cook until done, 1 to 3 hours. Salt when the beans start to soften. A pre-soak of 2 to 6 hours will lessen the cooking time.

Latin name

Phaseolus vulgaris

Country of origin

Mexico


"My bean brand of choice is Rancho Gordo beans."

Florida Times-Union

Customer Reviews

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San Franciscano Bean

$ 7.25
Frequent Cooking Questions

Should I soak my beans overnight before cooking?

There are many thoughts and no one perfect way to make beans. Soaking the beans will speed up the cooking but you have to wait to do it so how much time are you really saving? We often soak in the morning and cook the beans in the afternoon for dinner but we also just cook the beans and wait for them to be done. Most employees here start as avid soakers and end up just cooking without soaking. We feel a key step is to allow the beans to really come to a full boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until tender. See our Cooking page for tips and our master bean recipe.

Do you provide recipes?

We have an extensive Recipe Blog we've built over years as well as recipe books you can purchase. And if you're looking for a place to start, here's our How to Cook Beans in the Rancho Gordo Manner guide.

What about gas? How do I reduce it?

Another favorite subject! In our business, we call this a "Gift With Purchase." All I can say is Mexico and India, and other legume-eating countries don’t seem to be as obsessed about it as we are. I believe the more you eat, the less you are bothered, despite what the childish rhyme says. If you haven’t had beans in a long while and saddle up to a huge bowl of chili, chances are you may suffer. But when you incorporate beans into your daily diet, they rarely are a problem.

Many, many people believe that soaking the beans and changing the water helps.

Shipping Details

Free Shipping on each order $50 and over

FedEx Ground shipments, and one shipping location per order.

For orders less than $50: 
Our flat-fee shipping charges via FedEx Ground is $11 (regardless of weight)
One pound or One Thousand pounds, it's the same price. 

Our flat-fee shipping charge via US Postal Service is as follows:
$11 each 15 pounds
All shipments to Hawaii, Alaska, P.O. boxes, and APO/FPO/DPO addresses must go via USPS.

I just placed my order. When will I get my shipment?

It normally takes us 1 to 3 business days to process orders. If we are experiencing further shipping delays, we will add a note to the checkout page with further information.

We process and ship orders from Northern California Monday through Friday, via FedEx or US Postal Service. A shipment can take from 2 to 5 working days to be delivered after it leaves our warehouse, depending on where you live and what shipping service you selected. Please call us (707/259-1935) to arrange for faster shipping if you need your order to arrive sooner. 

Express Shipping?

Please call us (707/259-1935) to arrange for faster shipping if you need your order to arrive sooner. 

The Rancho Gordo Story

You Can Blame it All on the Dutch

I was shopping one August for tomatoes and, despite Napa being one of the world's most magnificent agricultural regions, all the tomatoes were from a hothouse in Holland! Worse, they were hard and pale pink instead of the ripe tomatoes I was craving. I started to grow my own tomatoes and this eventually led to beans.

My first harvested heirloom bean was Rio Zape. They were pretty and easy to grow but I had no idea what to expect when I cooked them. They were similar to the pintos I liked but there was so much more going on. Hints of chocolate and coffee mixed with an earthy texture made my head spin. I was blown away by Rio Zape and the other heirloom beans I was growing, but also really confused why they were such a big secret. I took the beans to the farmers market, organizing things on my kitchen table. Soon there was a warehouse, followed by more markets and mail order. It seems we had struck a nerve. People agreed that heirloom beans were worth saving, growing and cooking. Currently our warehouse, a retail shop, and offices are in Napa, California, and a stop here is part of many tours of the wine country. 

All of my agricultural pursuits have been based on being someone who likes to cook but gets frustrated by the lack of ingredients, especially those that are native to the Americas. One of the things that originally drew me to beans was the fact that they are indigenous to the Americas. It seems to me these indigenous ingredients should be familiar, if not common. American cuisine is re-inventing itself and I'd love to include ingredients, traditions and recipes from north and south of the border as part of the equation. I love the concept of The Americas. I feel as if it's just as important as the European heritage many of us share.

You can read more about the Rancho Gordo story here.

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