Ojito Haba Bean is a frost-tolerant fava bean variety collected in 1994 from a farmer near the Spanish village of Chamisal in northern New Mexico. The green and tan seeds grow to about 3/4 inch long and 1/2 inch wide, producing abundantly even in winter conditions. This is a variety with genuine regional roots and proven productivity, grown in hardiness zones 6 through 9, and it thrives in the cool seasons when many other beans struggle.
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Moderate
6-9
?in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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Collected directly from a farmer's field in 1994 near Ojito, New Mexico, this variety carries the story of traditional Northern Rio Grande agriculture in every seed. The beans are notably productive even in winter growing conditions, and local families prepared them using a distinctive method: soaking for three days with daily water changes, then peeling and deep frying the individual beans. This is seed that was saved and cultivated because it worked in a specific place, for specific people, with specific flavors they valued.
These beans are prepared fresh rather than dried. The traditional method involves soaking the green and tan beans in water for three days, changing the water daily, then peeling the individual beans and deep frying them until they develop a crispy exterior. This preparation highlights their creamy interior texture and suggests they work well in any preparation that celebrates the bean itself rather than masking it in heavily spiced dishes.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Direct sow Ojito Haba Bean in fall or early spring, taking advantage of its frost tolerance and preference for cool growing conditions. Plant seeds in soil warmed to at least 45 degrees Fahrenheit for germination, though 45 to 70 degrees represents the ideal range.
Harvest the pods when they are full and plump but still tender, before the beans inside become hard and starchy. Pick regularly to encourage continued production throughout the cool season. The green and tan seeds inside will signal maturity when they've reached their full size of approximately 3/4 inch long and 1/2 inch wide.
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“In 1994, Native Seeds/SEARCH collected Ojito Haba Bean from a farmer working fields near the small Spanish village of Chamisal, south of Ojito in northern New Mexico. This variety represents the living agricultural heritage of the Rio Grande Valley, where Spanish colonial farming traditions have persisted for centuries. By preserving this seed in their Seed Bank Collection, Native Seeds/SEARCH ensured that a variety adapted to high desert winters and the tastes of its original community could continue growing in home gardens and farms. The variety's documented productivity in winter growing trials speaks to its resilience in the challenging climate it evolved within.”