The yellow Indian woman shelling bean AKA Buckskin is a now-rare heirloom variety bush bean. Beans are defined both by growth habit, bush or pole, and by the stage when you harvest them, shelled or dried. Bush beans are generally more stout and plush while pole beans climb and run, often to the excess of ten feet. All Shelling beans can be harvested young, when the pods are full but flexible and supple. Dried beans are ready when the shell hardens, an indicator that the beans are also hard. Yellow Woman Indian Shelling beans are best suited as a dried bean and whether harvested young or dried their pod is inedible.

Yellow Indian woman shelling beans are distinguished as much by their heritage as they are by their appearance. As they are most always harvested dried, the size and color are defined with age. The beans are deep sandy clay-toned, matte finished, petite and rounded; the beans' belly faintly scarred with a reminder of where they clung to the pod. The beans cook up plump, retaining their shape, their texture creamy and flavor warm and nutty.

Serving Ideas

For centuries, Yellow Indian Woman beans have been utilized as a pot bean, cooked simply with water, aromatics and savory elements such as onions and garlic. The broth is then reserved to be used as a stock for future soups and stews. This is a perfect template for working with such beans, yet they can also be used as a salad bean, substituted for other beans such as Pintos and Navy beans in recipes such as Charro beans and Senate bean soup. Traditional and complimentary pairings include ancho, pasilla and guajillo chiles, rice, corn, onions, coriander, cumin, pork, tortillas, eggs, hardy and bitter greens, bay leaves and citrus. Yellow Indian woman shelling bean's texture and flavor also holds up well against other Shelling beans. As they are such as small bean, they require minimal soaking, 4 to 6 hours.

Geography/History

The yellow Indian woman shelling bean is native to central Mexico, though its trade routes would place it in Sweden before being rediscovered again in the New World as it was brought to Montana by a Swedish family. The yellow Indian woman shelling bean can be found in the contemporary food landscape within Native American communities in Montana. It is also still cultivated throughout Northern Mexico and the Baja region.