Canned beans or dried?

[vagriller]

Something occured to me about the issue of hard beans. Maybe the salt added to canned beans allows them to absorb more water, much like when you brine chicken. Thoughts?

 

[bjcotton]

I always use dried beans and then cook them myself. Canned just don't taste right IMO.

 

[Constance]

For chili, I use canned beans...Bush's Chili Hot Beans, with the sauce. I wish some of you would try them, just once.
I also use canned beans for my Killer Baked Beans...pork & beans with sauce, and then butterbeans, baby limas, great northern, cannelli beans, and crowder peas, all rinsed. The liquid isn't bad, if you need more juice, but it's awfully starchy...kinda remenicent of wallpaper paste.

I don't like red kidney or black beans in anything.

I use dried beans for bean soups. The soup does cook faster if you soak the beans. The way I do it is to put the beans in a large pot with enough water to cover the beans plus 2 inches. Bring to a boil, give them a stir, then cover and remove from heat. This method can be done in the morning, as it only takes a couple of hours.

 

[vagriller]

What do you folks think about my salt water theory?

 

[Andy M.]

The salt would effect the absorption of water one way or the other. It's just there for the flavor. The beans are cooked either before going into the can or in the can. That's why they are soft and moist.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I use canned beans in chili, salads, & soups where the beans aren't the main ingredient. These days the quality & variety of canned beans is quite high, & all one needs do is pour them into a colander, rinse, & drain, before use.

However, when the bean is the main ingredient in a recipe - like Black Bean Soup or Cassoulet - I always use dried beans & do the overnight soak before cooking thing. Have never had a problem with "hard" beans.

 

[vagriller]

Maybe I should ask what brand of dried beans you use, and how do you tell if they are fresh? The Navy beans I plan to cook have been floating around the cupboard for some time now.

 

[Gretchen]

The general advice on buying beans is to get them from stores where there is likely to be a good turnover or that has bulk bins. My most recent favoritest kitchen pot is my pressure cooker. Absolutely love the ability to have a stew in 25 minutes--or a pot of beans in 20. I would go ahead and try yours--I've cooked some pretty old ones. Do the overnight soak however. It at least gives you a fighting chance.

 

[vagriller]

I would go ahead and try yours--I've cooked some pretty old ones. Do the overnight soak however. It at least gives you a fighting chance.

Thanks!

 

[suzyQ3]

I use canned beans in chili, salads, & soups where the beans aren't the main ingredient. These days the quality & variety of canned beans is quite high, & all one needs do is pour them into a colander, rinse, & drain, before use.

However, when the bean is the main ingredient in a recipe - like Black Bean Soup or Cassoulet - I always use dried beans & do the overnight soak before cooking thing. Have never had a problem with "hard" beans.

I've ususally preferred soaking and cooking dried beans. But this weekend we made a red beans and rice dish that called for two cans of red or kidney beans. I was skeptical, but it came out tasting great -- even better than my old stand-by that calls for dried beans.

One thing, though: I bought organic canned beans. They didn't have anything in them but beans and salt, unlike the other brands. I don't know whether that made the difference or not, but we were pleasantly suprised at the tasty results.

 

[suzyQ3]

What do you folks think about my salt water theory?

I don't know about canned beans, but I do know that the opposite is true when cooking dried beans. You should always wait until the beans are tender before adding salt because salt can actually prevent the beans from becoming tender.

 

[TATTRAT]

I like using canned personaly, just too easy to pop that can, and really helps reduce the chilli to stomach time.

As far as the salt theroy, I wouldn't.

 

[vagriller]

I like using canned personaly, just too easy to pop that can, and really helps reduce the chilli to stomach time.

As far as the salt theroy, I wouldn't.

Yeah, for chili I do like canned. But when you is workin' a ham bone what's the rush?

 

[suzyQ3]

The more you eat beans the better your body will become at dealing with these issues.

You mean to tell me that that old schoolyard rhyme is bogus?

 

[Seven S]

You should always wait until the beans are tender before adding salt because salt can actually prevent the beans from becoming tender.

[FONT=Book Antiqua, Times New Roman, Times]"To salt or not to salt? Beans need salt for flavor, but many venerable cooks say to hold off on adding it until late in cooking because salt toughens the skins. Shirley O. Corriher, author of "CookWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking," says when you add salt makes no difference -- unless you start with really old beans, which salt can actually help tenderize.
"What people don't realize is, the reason their beans aren't getting soft after two hours is they're old beans. So they need to try to find as fresh a dried bean as they can."
We say, better to start with fresh beans and salt them as you please. Italian cooking guru Marcella Hazan agrees: She spent a lifetime following the established wait-to-salt notion, but now she salts even the beans' soaking water, saying that it has no ill effect on the skins, and improves their taste. If you're a "late salter," note this tip: Taste the cooking water to adjust seasoning, not the beans, which may take a while to absorb it. "
http://www.loghouseplants.com/Oregonian_magic_beans.htm

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"[/FONT]Not only does Corriher recommend salting during cooking (she also likes to add bay leaves, thyme, ham hocks or salt pork, as many a Southerner will), she says adding salt to the soaking water can help soften recalcitrant beans, those that are old or have been stored improperly. They are the beans that never seem to soften, even after cooking them all day.[FONT=Book Antiqua, Times New Roman, Times]"
The Bean Truth- Chicago Times






[/FONT]

 

[suzyQ3]

[FONT=Book Antiqua, Times New Roman, Times]"To salt or not to salt? Beans need salt for flavor, but many venerable cooks say to hold off on adding it until late in cooking because salt toughens the skins. Shirley O. Corriher, author of "CookWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking," says when you add salt makes no difference -- unless you start with really old beans, which salt can actually help tenderize.
"What people don't realize is, the reason their beans aren't getting soft after two hours is they're old beans. So they need to try to find as fresh a dried bean as they can."
We say, better to start with fresh beans and salt them as you please. Italian cooking guru Marcella Hazan agrees: She spent a lifetime following the established wait-to-salt notion, but now she salts even the beans' soaking water, saying that it has no ill effect on the skins, and improves their taste. If you're a "late salter," note this tip: Taste the cooking water to adjust seasoning, not the beans, which may take a while to absorb it. "
http://www.loghouseplants.com/Oregonian_magic_beans.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"[/FONT]Not only does Corriher recommend salting during cooking (she also likes to add bay leaves, thyme, ham hocks or salt pork, as many a Southerner will), she says adding salt to the soaking water can help soften recalcitrant beans, those that are old or have been stored improperly. They are the beans that never seem to soften, even after cooking them all day.[FONT=Book Antiqua, Times New Roman, Times]"
The Bean Truth- Chicago Times
[/FONT]

Thanks for that info. It sems to be one of those interminable food debates. Here's one interesting compromise.

 

[karadekoolaid]

Something occured to me about the issue of hard beans. Maybe the salt added to canned beans allows them to absorb more water, much like when you brine chicken. Thoughts?

I've read loads of stuff about beans, how to soak, how to cook, how to condiment, etc. etc.

I'd always added salt and all the spices at the start of the cooking.
then one day I read a post which said " DONT SALT YOUR BEANS!!
( until they've cooked).

So like some pathetic groupie, I slaveishly followed the advice.

Thing is, it worked - at least for me. Lentils do not seem to be affected, but red beans, chick peas, black-eyed peas, navy beans, pigeon peas, you name 'em - seem to cook better and softer when you add the salt AFTER they're cooked.

Tinned beans? I always keep a few cans handy, just in case; but I prefer to cook my own . Over here, a can ( 250gms after draining) costs a dollar. 250 gms dried beans produces about 5 times that amount... and costs $0.50.

 

[ChefJune]

I often cook rice with my beans, and I add the salt for the last 45 minutes, when I add the brown rice. It always works out extremely well and tastes great!

 

[Andy M.]

Steve:

Thanks for the technical support. Hopefully, another cooking myth put to rest.

 

[jennyema]

I've never salted my soaking water but now I'm going to try that. I made pasta fagioli on Sunday and seasoned the cooking water liberally with salt and spices/herbs.