Sorana Beans

These 1 pound bags of Sorana beans are from the 2022 fall harvest. 

Sorana beans are native to the municipality of Pescia in Italy, about halfway between Florence and Pisa. Sorana beans are included in the Slow Food Ark of taste for their importance as a cultural tradition of Pescia. While these are grown on our farm in Boonville and not in Italy, we do our best to bring attention to the importance of this bean to the Tuscan tradition and ensure that they are produced to a high standard. Sorana beans are known as the most prized beans of Italy, and we believe that our beans are doing a great job to emulate what is grown (on an incredibly small scale) back in Italy. 

The flattened, small, oblong beans are thin skinned and easy to digest. They are a type of cannellini bean but are creamier, richer, and more flavorful than what you will find in a can. The lower and slower these beans cook, the creamier they will get. 

These beans are incredibly fresh (we sell out every year before the next harvest) and have thin skins, making it not totally necessary to soak them. But, if you want to shorten the cooking time to under an hour, it is helpful to soak them overnight. Bring a pot of beans with water (a few inches higher than the beans themselves) to a boil. Let the beans boil for 15 minutes. Reduce to a simmer until beans are done cooking. We like to add a few whole dried chiles and a few cloves of garlic to the pot while cooking. Add hot water if your liquid gets low (adding cold water will increase cooking time). Salt the pot when the beans are done. These beans are great in a bowl with a hearty drizzle of olive oil and a bit of Piment d’Ville. If you’re up for tackling a bit more, they are a great bean to use in cassoulet. 

Learn more here about how we threshed these beans by bike!