Franchi Seeds 1783 Borlotto Bean Saluggia Seeds

Heritage Variety.

Endangered - on the Slow Food 'Ark of Taste'

The Saluggia bean is a very small variety of Phaseolus vulgaris. It’s easy to sow and harvest.

The bean pods are cylindrical, curved and are white/yellow with red streaks. The plant has a stalk of up to 55cm and a compact bush that produces large, white flowers.

The Saluggia bean was the base of the diet of people who live in the province of Vercelli and is used in some traditional dishes of the area.

• Sowing in April - July: 2cm deep in modules to transplant outside after risk of frost has passed
• Sowing in May: directly outside, when the garden has warmed up, in well-prepared soil with lots of compost. Protect from slugs and snails.
• Approximate seeds quantity: @60

The Saluggia beans are grown in the municipality of Saluggia and in small portions of land in surrounding municipalities, including Livorno Ferraris, Cigliano and Crescentino. The Saluggia bean is sown in June and July and harvested in September. After harvesting, it is dried - under the sun when the weather allows it. After this, an initial clean is done to separate the coarser impurities and any foreign objects, like pebbles or soil.

Borlotti beans, from northern Italy, are shelled before eating. For freezing, shell when the pods are still leathery, for drying, shell when the pods are completely dry. The beans are used in a variety of local dishes and are great for making Italian baked beans in a rich tomato sauce (tomato, molasses, garlic, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, onion and beer).