Organic Tepary Bush Bean Seeds

The bean pots are small with flat, lentil looking beans inside. A culinary treat and packed with flavor, tepary beans should be cooked like any other bean.

More on Tepary Beans and Recipes:

Tepary beans (Phaseolus acutifolius)

Tepary beans are a semi-bush bean originating in the desert areas of Mexico and the American Southwest. They grow best in extreme heat and under arid conditions. Tepary beans”™ taproot is twice as long as common beans”™ (Phaseolus vulgaris), which allows teparies to take advantage of even small amounts of soil moisture efficiently.

Nutritionally, tiny tepary beans (1/4″ long, the size of large lentils) are higher in protein, iron, calcium, and fiber than most beans. Their nutritional benefits, sweet, nutty flavor, and relatively quick cooking time make teparies well worth searching out.

Jay Bost, in the June 2006 Seeds of Change newsletter, wrote a fascinating article about tepary beans. His discussion of the growing conditions under which teparies thrive makes me interested in trying them in Greece, which has the necessary hot, dry summers:

“œDue to its native habitat in the Sonoran Desert, domesticated tepary beans “¦ are considered by many to be the most drought-tolerant annual legume in the world. They are capable of producing a harvest of beans with a single rain in the harshest conditions; when irrigated, they produce higher yields only up to a certain point, after which excess moisture becomes a detriment and leads to overproduction of foliage and low bean production. In fact, it appears that moisture stress is necessary to trigger fruiting. Part of the tepary bean’s secret to success in dry areas is to grow quickly when water is available. While pinto beans take 90 to 120 days to maturity, teparies take only 75 to 85. As water shortages become a reality in many parts of the U.S. and around the world, teparies will undoubtedly play an important role in dryland agriculture. In fact, tepary cultivation is now taking place in dry areas of Africa and is being revived in southern Arizona.”

Bost details teparies”™ nutritional benefits:

“œPart of the tepary bean’s appeal, in addition to its drought tolerance, is its superior nutritional content. It has a higher protein content (23″“30%) than common beans such as pinto, kidney, and navy, as well as higher levels of oil, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and potassium. While higher in all of these desired nutrients, tepary beans are lower in polyunsaturated fat and in the anti-enzymatic compounds, which make common beans hard to digest (Hamama and Bhardwaj 2002). Tepary beans are proving to be an ideal food for people prone to diabetes or suffering from diabetes because of the beans’ high fiber level. This makes them a “slow-release food”; that is, tepary beans’ sugars are released slowly and steadily, rather than in a spike as in many high carbohydrate, low fiber foods common in our diets.”

The Ark of Taste is a list of endangered food plants and animals that the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity seeks to protect and defend. Tepary Beans are now on the Ark of Taste.

Tuscan-Style Tepary Beans with Rosemary and Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry Rio Del Rey Organic White Tepary Beans
• 5 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• One bay leaf
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Three fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 ½ cups mushrooms of your choice, chopped
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• One whole sprig fresh rosemary for garnish

Instructions

1. Rinse beans in water and soak overnight.
2. Drain water from the beans and rinse them.
3. Add the broth and the soaked beans to a large cooking pot.
4. Add garlic, sage leaves chopped rosemary, bay leaf, black pepper, 2 Tbsp olive oil.
5. Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer beans, covered for at least two hours.
6. When the beans are tender, and most of the broth has been absorbed, go through and mash about 1/3 of the beans using a fork. This will help thicken the beans to a creamy state upon serving.
7. Remove the bay leaf and sage leaves; pour the beans into a pot. Add salt to taste.
8. Warm a skillet to medium-high heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté on until they are crispy on the edges, and cooked through. Stir in 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar and the flat-leaf parsley. Add a pinch of salt to the mushrooms if desired.
9. Fold the mushrooms into the beans and pour the bean dish into a serving bowl. Top with the one fresh sprig of rosemary and serve! Delicious as leftovers too, these beans will last in the fridge up to a week when properly stored, tightly.

Tepary Bean Dip “” A Healthy Snack

Here”™s a link to the Chicago Tribune story, and the recipe is posted below.

Recipe Type: Appetizer

Author: Gwen Ashley Walters

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour 45 mins

Serves: 4 cups

Serve with sliced vegetables, such as carrots, bell peppers, and jicama, or with crackers or tortilla chips, especially blue corn chips.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups dried tepary beans
• Three tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Zest of half a lemon ~ 1 teaspoon
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• Three medium cloves of garlic, minced
• One teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Mexican oregano
• 2 to 3 chiltepin chiles (optional)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• Garnish (optional):
• One tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Cilantro sprig

Instructions

1. Pick through the beans and remove any sticks or debris. Rinse well and drain. Place in a saucepan and cover with at least 4-inches of water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender but not mushy, about 1-1/2 hours, adding more liquid as necessary to keep covered. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
2. Place the beans in a food processor. Pour in 3/4 to 1 cup of reserved cooking liquid (or water) and process until chunky. Add more cooking liquid or water if necessary to get a thick, dip-like consistency. Add the remaining ingredients (olive oil through sea salt) and blend until mostly smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if desired. Transfer to a bowl. May be made up to two days before serving. Store covered in the fridge. To serve, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, top with a sprig of cilantro. Serve with sliced vegetables, crackers, or tortilla chips.