Black beans.

Black beans are small, shiny, oval beans with a black skin and a white inside. Cooked, they turn soft and creamy in the middle while the skin keeps them whole, and the cooking water goes a deep purple-black. The taste is mild and earthy, a little sweet. They work in savoury pots and in sweets, and a bag of dry beans keeps in the cupboard for a long time.

Ways to use it

• Simmer with coconut milk, palm sugar and a pinch of salt for a warm Thai-style bean dessert.
• Mix cooked beans into sticky rice before steaming, or serve them over sweet sticky rice.
• Cook into a thick soup with onion, garlic and tomato, then mash a few beans to thicken it.
• Toss with corn, tomato, shallot, coriander and lime juice for a bean salad.

Rinse the beans and pick out any small stones. Soak them in plenty of water overnight, drain, then cover with fresh water and simmer for about 1 to 1.5 hours until soft all the way through. Add salt near the end, once the skins are tender.

Storing it

Keep the dry beans sealed in a cool, dry cupboard away from sunlight. Once opened, keep them in a jar or box with a tight lid. Cooked beans go into the fridge once they have cooled, and they also freeze well in small boxes.

Where it comes from

Grown to certified organic standards. The certificate for each lot is shown when you trace your pack.

Every pack will carry a lot code. Enter it on the Trace your pack page and you will see the farms in that lot, the packing date and the certificate.