Protein
Beans
Salt the soaking water. The old rule that salt toughens the skins is simply wrong.
2 recipes on this site
Ingredient reference image: AI-generated. Recipe photography is my own.
In the kitchen
Under heat
Extended simmering breaks down pectin in the cell walls until the bean softens from the inside out — rushing the heat cooks the outside before the center is done.
Against air
Dry beans are stable indefinitely; cooked beans left uncovered dry out and crack at the surface within hours.
In storage
Dry beans keep for years in a sealed container. Cooked beans are a fridge item for about a week, in their liquid.
At the shop
Buy dry beans from a store with turnover. Old dry beans, even sealed, take far longer to soften no matter how long you soak them.
Which variety, for what
- Black beans
- Firm skins that hold shape well through long simmering.
- Pinto
- Softer skins — the standard choice for refried or mashed preparations.
- Cannellini / white beans
- Creamy interior, good where you want the bean to partly break down and thicken the liquid.
