Is $8/Lb too much to pay for a bag of dry beans? I used to think so a year ago. I don't any more.
You can probably count on one hand the number of product reviews I've done since I started this blog 9 year ago? Food products these days pop up faster than mushrooms after a rain shower, and just like mushrooms, majority of what comes up is not edible. Stumbling on Rancho Gordo in this age of food product bombardment is like stumbling on a chanterelle treasure trove -- it makes your heart pound with delight at the rarity of the event and all the delicious possibilities it promises.
I don't accept free products of any kind. There is no disclaimer in the end of this post that the beans were free, but opinions are all my own. Neither am I writing this post after trying Rancho Gordo for the first time. I have spent over $50 on Rancho Gordo bean and these beans were worth every penny (except for 1 bag, but nothing is perfect).
My obsession with these beans started about 6 months ago. I desperately needed white beans for a class, and Whole Foods was out of all dry white beans. I stopped by Formaggio's in Cambridge and saw Rancho Gordo beans. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I closed my eyes to the $8 price tag and bought a bag. All I was hoping for was that they would soften before the class was over and would cook evenly. I got all that, but I also got character I've never seen in a bean before. It was like drinking a Burgundy Premier Cru after living on Charles Shaw.
The availability of Rancho Gordo beans in Boston is unpredictable. Few stores carry them and those that do offer only a couple of varieties. I checked Rancho Gordo web site and sure enough they sold their beans on-line. Most stores sell Rancho Gordo brand for $8/Lb and on-line they are $6/Lb with a $12 flat shipping fee. Ordering 6 bags makes on-line beans the same prices as store bought, but with 10 times the varieties to choose from. Unfortunately most varieties were unfamiliar, and my go-to cannellini were unavailable. I got on the waiting list for them, but after a few months never heard back. Curiosity finally got the better of me and I ordered 6 bags of beans with names I've never heard before.
It only took me 1 month to cook them all. I didn't expect to go through them so quickly, but each variety was an eye opening experience and I got addicted to always having a pot of beans in my fridge.
Yellow Indian Woman
My favorite variety so far. These small caramel colored beans have unobtrusive skin that gets very tender, but doesn't burst. The flavor is lightly sweet and reminiscent of fudge. Texture is very creamy. Great in everything.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 5 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Rio Zape
Everything is bold and large about these beans. They are big, they are dark, they are a mouthful that is almost aggressive and slightly tannic. Steve Sando, the owner of Ranch Gordo describes them as tasting of coffee and chocolate. When I first read his descriptions of the beans, I thought they were the kind of romantic BS people write about wine -- "sunset on the beach with notes of hay." But after I tried 6 varieties, I was floored by how accurate these descriptions were -- coffee and chocolate indeed. These beans are very thick skinned and need a lot of cooking to make the skins tender. Luckily they don't burst easily and can withstand prolonged cooking. Would be great in a chili or with braised short-ribs.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 8 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
My obsession with these beans started about 6 months ago. I desperately needed white beans for a class, and Whole Foods was out of all dry white beans. I stopped by Formaggio's in Cambridge and saw Rancho Gordo beans. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I closed my eyes to the $8 price tag and bought a bag. All I was hoping for was that they would soften before the class was over and would cook evenly. I got all that, but I also got character I've never seen in a bean before. It was like drinking a Burgundy Premier Cru after living on Charles Shaw.
The availability of Rancho Gordo beans in Boston is unpredictable. Few stores carry them and those that do offer only a couple of varieties. I checked Rancho Gordo web site and sure enough they sold their beans on-line. Most stores sell Rancho Gordo brand for $8/Lb and on-line they are $6/Lb with a $12 flat shipping fee. Ordering 6 bags makes on-line beans the same prices as store bought, but with 10 times the varieties to choose from. Unfortunately most varieties were unfamiliar, and my go-to cannellini were unavailable. I got on the waiting list for them, but after a few months never heard back. Curiosity finally got the better of me and I ordered 6 bags of beans with names I've never heard before.
It only took me 1 month to cook them all. I didn't expect to go through them so quickly, but each variety was an eye opening experience and I got addicted to always having a pot of beans in my fridge.
Yellow Indian Woman
My favorite variety so far. These small caramel colored beans have unobtrusive skin that gets very tender, but doesn't burst. The flavor is lightly sweet and reminiscent of fudge. Texture is very creamy. Great in everything.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 5 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Rio Zape
Everything is bold and large about these beans. They are big, they are dark, they are a mouthful that is almost aggressive and slightly tannic. Steve Sando, the owner of Ranch Gordo describes them as tasting of coffee and chocolate. When I first read his descriptions of the beans, I thought they were the kind of romantic BS people write about wine -- "sunset on the beach with notes of hay." But after I tried 6 varieties, I was floored by how accurate these descriptions were -- coffee and chocolate indeed. These beans are very thick skinned and need a lot of cooking to make the skins tender. Luckily they don't burst easily and can withstand prolonged cooking. Would be great in a chili or with braised short-ribs.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 8 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Borlotti
Similar to rio zape, but a bit smaller and lighter in color. As an experiment, I froze some after cooking (drained and placed in a single layer in a zip lock bag). Other varieties might freeze well too, but that's the only one I tried freezing. They withstood it exceptionally well and even got better since the skins get softer. Borlotti were great in a soup, and with braised sturdy greens (like kale and chard).
Mayacoba
In their raw state, these beans are slightly green, but after cooking they turn beige. The texture and flavor are like cannellini without any bursting problems. The skin is thin and unobtrusive, but holds together beautifully. Texture is rich and silky. An extremely versatile bean.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 6 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Brown tepary
Very small bean with a few surprises: it tastes like chestnuts, and inspite of its diminutive size, took longer to cook than most beans (more like chickpea timing instead of cannellini). These are very sturdy beans that don’t easily turn mushy. The skins are thin, but resilient, so don’t be afraid to give them all the necessary time to get tender. To show off their unique flavor, I cooked them with sugar and vanilla bean and pureed with milk, cream, and butter to make a sweet filling for cream puffs inspired by Japanese red bean paste. Leftovers were fantastic spread on toast for breakfast.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 10 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Large Lima
I didn’t get along with this one. Most of the skins burst during the soak, and the beans turned out watery after cooking. This happened to me with other brands of Large Lima before. Maybe it’s just not my kind of bean.
April 30, 2014 update -- tried more varieties
Good Mother Stallard
It looked like a cooking disaster at first, but turned out to be a sensational bean that was good in everything from stew to salad. After 20 hours of soaking, many were still small and hard. They took a long time to cook, but eventually, almost all of them got soft, plump, and very creamy. Only a few burst and a few remained slightly chalky. After sitting in the fridge overnight, the texture evened out and they were all good. I used them in a salad with sardines and in a lamb stew. I think I actually prefer them to borlotti because of their thinner skins. A bit of the pretty speckling stayed on even after cooking.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 10 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Eye of the Goat
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 10 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Eye of the Goat
This one had many attributes similar to good mother stallard, but I prefer good mother stallard.
Ayocote Blanco
Yellow Eye
This one produced a very starchy broth (because some beans started to burst by the time all the beans were cooked). Good for very rustic applications like thick and creamy soups and stews and baked beans.
Ayocote Blanco
Very large slightly flat white beans that are dense and creamy. Somewhat thick skins, but very resilient and these beans don't burst easily. Not the best bean for a salad, but fantastic in a stew (I used them in a mushroom stew that was addictive). This is a bean with a huge personality. I am sure it would be lovely with meat, but it might be a shame to obscure it. About the same cooking time as chickpeas (about 2 hrs).
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 10 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
July 18, 2014 update -- tried more varieties
Vallarta
Small, light brown, creamy. Similar to Yellow Indian Woman, but more savory than sweet. Cooks very evenly. Similar in flavor to Mayacoba, but I prefer the slightly bigger size of Mayacoba.
Nov 11, 2014 update -- tried more varieties
Alubia Blanca
Small, white, creamy. Similar to Navy, but better. Cooks very evenly. Perfect for salads and soups.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 5 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Jan 2, 2015 update -- tried more varieties
Royal Corona
Finally -- a giant bean that doesn't fall apart the way big limas do. These cook for a very very long time. Without a pressure cooker, it took me 3-4 hours to get them to be creamy. Luckily, the skins don't burst. Outstanding in everything from salads to soups and stews.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 17 min, 15 min off heat, release pressure
March 10, 2015 update -- tried more varieties
Midnight Black
Excellent black bean that cooks very evenly, holds the shape perfectly, and gets completely creamy. Could be good in everything from soups to salads. My only issue with this one is its mild flavor. I prefer the beans with more personality.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 10 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
May 19, 2015 update -- tried more varieties
Classic Cassoulet
I am in love. Big, perfectly creamy with no bursting, and cooks more evenly than any bean I know. Good hot, good cold, good in everything.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 8 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Jan 5, 2016 update -- tried more varieties
Ayacote Morado
At first I was frustrated with this bean: thick skinned, cooks forever, and not evenly. But after sitting in the fridge overnight (after cooking), it turned around. Big, bold, meaty flavor. Would be excellent in chili. I did remove a few beans that burst by the time the rest of them were done. Next time, I'll go through them after soaking and remove ones that are still hard to speed up cooking and reduce unevenness.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 10 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure (mine needed even more cooking after that, but I am not sure how that would convert to pressure cooking times)
Jan 30, 2016 update -- tried more varieties
Vaquero
Excellent flavor, but didn't hydrate evenly at all. After an overnight soak about 10% were rock hard. I separated those and cooked them separately. They took twice as long. If everything would be cooked in one pot, it would be a very uneven pot. Wouldn't buy again.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 5 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Apr 8, 2016 update -- tried more varieties
Domingo Rojo
Small, but meaty, with excellent flavor. Outstanding in "rice and beans" and in stews. Would make a killer vegetarian chili. Didn't hydrate evenly, but cooked perfectly. After an overnight soak about 80% were rock hard and small. I didn't remove any beans after the soak. Took a very long time to cook, but not a single bean burst.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 10 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 10 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
July 18, 2014 update -- tried more varieties
Vallarta
Small, light brown, creamy. Similar to Yellow Indian Woman, but more savory than sweet. Cooks very evenly. Similar in flavor to Mayacoba, but I prefer the slightly bigger size of Mayacoba.
Nov 11, 2014 update -- tried more varieties
Alubia Blanca
Small, white, creamy. Similar to Navy, but better. Cooks very evenly. Perfect for salads and soups.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 5 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Jan 2, 2015 update -- tried more varieties
Royal Corona
Finally -- a giant bean that doesn't fall apart the way big limas do. These cook for a very very long time. Without a pressure cooker, it took me 3-4 hours to get them to be creamy. Luckily, the skins don't burst. Outstanding in everything from salads to soups and stews.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 17 min, 15 min off heat, release pressure
March 10, 2015 update -- tried more varieties
Midnight Black
Excellent black bean that cooks very evenly, holds the shape perfectly, and gets completely creamy. Could be good in everything from soups to salads. My only issue with this one is its mild flavor. I prefer the beans with more personality.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 10 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
May 19, 2015 update -- tried more varieties
Classic Cassoulet
I am in love. Big, perfectly creamy with no bursting, and cooks more evenly than any bean I know. Good hot, good cold, good in everything.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 8 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Jan 5, 2016 update -- tried more varieties
Ayacote Morado
At first I was frustrated with this bean: thick skinned, cooks forever, and not evenly. But after sitting in the fridge overnight (after cooking), it turned around. Big, bold, meaty flavor. Would be excellent in chili. I did remove a few beans that burst by the time the rest of them were done. Next time, I'll go through them after soaking and remove ones that are still hard to speed up cooking and reduce unevenness.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 10 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure (mine needed even more cooking after that, but I am not sure how that would convert to pressure cooking times)
Jan 30, 2016 update -- tried more varieties
Vaquero
Excellent flavor, but didn't hydrate evenly at all. After an overnight soak about 10% were rock hard. I separated those and cooked them separately. They took twice as long. If everything would be cooked in one pot, it would be a very uneven pot. Wouldn't buy again.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 5 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
Apr 8, 2016 update -- tried more varieties
Domingo Rojo
Small, but meaty, with excellent flavor. Outstanding in "rice and beans" and in stews. Would make a killer vegetarian chili. Didn't hydrate evenly, but cooked perfectly. After an overnight soak about 80% were rock hard and small. I didn't remove any beans after the soak. Took a very long time to cook, but not a single bean burst.
Pressure cooking notes for 15 psi (high pressure): 10 min, 10 min off heat, release pressure
15 comments:
That's it, I've had their page bookmarked for months and I'm finally going to place an order. This is a great time of year to cook beans (polar vortex and all) and I'm getting bored with the same old selections from my food co-op's bulk bins. Thanks for the review!
I tend to get into a "busy rut" and I almost ignored this. I'm glad I didn't. No beans about it, I learned a ton just from reading the summary. Now I need to place my order and start experimenting! Thanks for posting!
You've got to try the Good Mother Stallard, it will change your world, they're so good. With the bigger beans, i Tried brining them and then baking them in the oven. They turned out amazing!
Thanks so much for Good Mother Stallard recommendation. I'll add it to my list for the next order. I agree about brining. I brine all my beans. It's not always necessary, but never hurts. The only time I don't brine is if I am using the beans for dessert. Though I am sure a week brine (about 1.5%) would be fine. Usually, I use 3%.
I have unpredictable bean results. I soak overnight but they still tend to stay hard like tiny rocks when I cook them, even if I cook them for hours longer than the recipe tells me I should need to. Any tips? I love beans! I'd love to try the fancy ones, but I can't justify the price for them when beans just don't work 2/3 of the time.
Here is my last post on how to cook beans.
I have learned much more about cooking beans since I wrote that post, and will eventually do an update, but here is the gist. If you are new to cooking beans, avoid difficult varieties (white beans, particularly lima) burst like crazy. Also be prepared that some beans take hours to cook even after a pre-soak. Using a pressure cooker makes life a lot faster and easier. I find that they cook more evenly and most varieties are done in 15 minutes (which would be an hour under normal conditions). If you tell me what variety you are cooking, I can probably help more. Each type has its own peculiarity. If you want something extremely easy to cook, try Yellow Indian Woman from Rancho Gordo.
I hear you about buying expensive beans before knowing how to cook them. Before ordering Rancho Gordo, I bought a pressure cooker and about 10 Lb of goya cannellini. With lots of testing I developed a method that worked fairly reliably and that's when I tried Rancho Gordo beans. Even with that 1 variety (large lima) gave me trouble. Last piece of advice to to realize to ignore the timing in recipes.
Also, make sure you pick through your beans after an overnight soak. Drop them by handfuls onto a plate. They should make a hollow sound. Remove any that make a "ding" sound. if they haven't softened during a presoak, they won't during cooking either.
Sorry about so much rambling advice. I have on my to-do list to organize my thoughts on beans and make a video. Just have been swamped with classes lately.
I bought the Sangro de Toro and other varietiies months ago, and just yesterday decided to try them. I pre-soaked 1cup of beans in cold water (no salt) overnight, and cooked them today in my 3qt. Crock pot with sautéed onion, celery, green bell pepper, Mexican oregano from Rancho Gordo, and Mexican seasoning from Spice Hunter. 2 hours on high, then reduced to low for another 5 hours before adding salt, rice or other ingredients. 2 cups liquid was enough until I added quick cooking brown rice; then I added a bit more.
Thanks for such a complete review of our beans! Some people really get what we're doing and it's a real kick to be work and be appreciated. I'm old enough to know that doesn't always happen. Thanks again!
I love these beans; I joined their club and get a shipment every few months. It's so much fun, like Christmas, to see what arrived. I'm vegan and eat beans almost every day, so I appreciate all the different varieties that I can't get at my local store. We even stopped in San Francisco, primarily to get some beans to bring home, when we were in California last summer.
I've got a new pressure cooker and now several varieties of Rancho Gordon beans. Are the times you listed for soaked or unsoaked beans? And do you have any advice re soaking or not for RG beans? I'm new to pressure cooking and it seems I've read both to soak and to not soak.
My cooking times are for soaked beans. Here is a video with my soaking and cooking procedure.
Great review! I've been in love with Rancho Gordo beans for about 5 years now. I got tired of supermarket dried beans hit or miss with softening up or cooking all the way.
Rancho Gordo's beans are so fresh, that hard beans are never a problem.
I wanted to say Thank You!!! for the pressure cooking times!! I do use a pressure cooker for beans about half the time, and it's always a guess and test thing for me. Having at least a starting point for timeing them is a super help!
The other way I like to cook beans these days is in the oven. I start the beans on the stove, in an oven proof pot and lid, two inches of water over the beans. Bring it to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, add my seasonings, cover with the lid,then into an oven at 300*F.
They cook more evenly and you get less bursting.
BTW, that is from dry, not soaked. I've found that with fresh beans the overnight soaking is not needed. That instruction apparently came from trying to re-hydrate old beans that lost too much moisture over time.
With fresh beans, like Rancho Gordo's, I've found I save no time soaking, they take about 2-3 hours from dry, some varieties more time, some less. And the flavor is really better. A lot of flavor goes down the drain with that soaking water. Even if you cook in the soaking water, some of the flavor has gone out of the bean and into the water. Fine if you are making a soup, not so good if you're using the beans for something else. Anyway, it works well for me.
Thanks again for the great post, very good info!
Hi Barb,
So glad you found my pressure cooking times a good starting point. The oven method is excellent too. One of the reasons I soak beans is that it helps with digestion. I am one of those unfortunately people who gets a terrible stomach ache from beans sometimes, but I love beans so much, I can't imagine living without them. Soaking helps :)
Cheers,
-Helen
I soak Rancho Gordo beans 4 to 6 hours usually. I discard the soaking water. I cook them from 12-15 minutes in the electric pressure cooker and then let them release pressure naturally for about 15-20 minutes. Most are done in that time. I have never had any burst either. I have used quite a variety but not lima beans. We are vegans and these beans have made eating a pleasure once again.
Old thread but in case anyone comes across this thread (as I did, in 2020) this chart is super helpful when cooking beans in the instant pot.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0685/2511/files/pressure_cooking.pdf (If that doesn't post google "Rancho Gordo instant pot times pdf.)
Domingo Rojo isn't on this list. As the blogger noted these take longer than other beans in the instant pot. I would say 11 mins works, maybe 1 min more if you like beans softer. (I like mine soft but holding shape.) These beans hold their shape well.
Many beans cook in < than 10 mins. I use alubia blanca frequently and they are good with 9 mins. Indian summer 9 mins. Mogette de Vendi were mush at 11 mins. Good go smash on toast or in a creamy soup but would take out sooner next time.
Save you cooking liquid. I always cook the whole bag and put half in a large mason jar and freeze. They are perfect when taken out of the freezer.
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