g for black or turtle beans or just enjoy on their own. These are incredibly fresh so little, if any, soaking is required.

ALUBIA BLANCA: Classic Alubia beans are one of our more requested items. You can use these small white European-style beans in all kinds of cooking, from Yankee baked beans to soups to Italian "beans on toast." They have a thin skin but still manage to hold their shape, making them ideal for salads.

CLASSIC CRANBERRY: Cranberry beans only look like cranberries. And even then, I don't quite see it. Originally from South America, these beans have been bred around the world and have become Madeira, Borlotti, Tongues of Fire, Wren's Egg and many more. This is the classic from Colombia and are perfect for any recipe calling for a "cranberry" bean.

YELLOW EYE: Unlike Navy beans, which have a slightly gummy, babyfood texture, Yellow Eyes are dense, creamy and delicious. Great Northerns can be plain boring. Replace Navys or Great Northerns with Yellow Eyes and your dish becomes a feast.

36:T789,We are in the third week of the Great Bean Experiment, and loving it.We have tried Good Mother Stallard, Rio Zape, and Goats' Eye. Upcoming are from our sampler are Brown Tepary, Cranberry Bean, Santa Maria Pinquintos, Cassoulet Bean, and Christmas Lima.I suspect I'm unclear on the concept of the Mirapoix mentioned on the package, but we are pleased with the outcome. I start a soak circa 11am. I then spend an hour each Saturday afternoon chopping 2 stalks of celery, three carrots, two yellow onions and 1/2 head of garlic, sautéed in that order. I drain and rise the beans and then rolling boil them for 5 minutes, keeping this water. The soak and the boil get rid of unwanted oligosaccharides (indigestible gassy sugars) and lectins respectively. I then toss in the mirapoix and a 3 in strip of kombu (seaweed) to further diminish the oligosaccharides, while adding back minerals lost through soaking. I've discarded the kombu after beans are cooked, though I hear many e