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Category: Hints and Tips
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The idea of an hour or two in the kitchen tending a pot of cannellini beans or chickpeas becomes more appealing as the weather outside becomes less inviting. In the Test Kitchen, we view all dried legumes (everything from black beans to pigeon peas) as similar, although flavors, textures, and cooking times do vary.
Do not Just Soak Brine
Soaking beans trims the cooking time and improves the final texture of cooked beans. Soaked beans are less likely to explode and will be less starchy than beans that are cooked without soaking. But we do not just soak beans, we brine them. We find that brining beans makes their skins softer.
Why does soaking dried beans in salted water make them cook up with softer skins? It has to do with how the sodium ions in salt interact with the cells of the bean skins. As the beans soak, the sodium ions replace some of the calcium and magnesium ions in the skins. Because sodium ions are weaker than mineral ions, they allow more water to penetrate into the skins, leading to a softer texture. During soaking, the sodium ions will only filter partway into the beans, so their greatest effect is on the cells in the outermost part of the beans.
Upgrade your dried beans with an overnight soak I know this all sounds very technical, but trust me brining beans is the way to go, and it requires no more effort than the traditional overnight soak. For 1 pound of dried beans, dissolve 3 tablespoons of table salt in 4 quarts of cold water. Soak the beans at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. Drain and rinse them well before using. If you happen to soak beans and arent able to use them immediately, they can be drained, transferred to a zipper lock bag, and refrigerated for up to four days before being used without ill affect to flavor or texture. Don’t extend the soaking time. After 24 hours of soaking, beans can lose flavor and develop a mealy texture.
Briney Benefits
For some, the greatest obstacle to preparing beans is not the lack of a good recipe but an aversion to the discomfort associated with digestion. The creation of unwanted intestinal gas begins with the arrival of small chains of carbohydrates (called oligosaccharides) into the large intestine. Many people cannot digest these molecules efficiently, but bacteria residing at the end of the gut do and produce gas as a byproduct. Soaking (or brining) beans has another added benefit—it reduces the amount of offending carbohydrates by about 30 percent.
Easy solutions to common legume quandariesTrouble Shooting Stubborn Beans
Over the years, I have heard from readers who have trouble with our bean recipes. They cant get the beans to soften. There are three possible reasons for this problem: hard water, old age, or acids.
Hard Water Some local tap water is hard its rich in minerals like magnesium and calcium. Brining the beans should help mitigate the effects of hard water. If dripping faucets leave green rings in your sinks and tubs, you have hard water. If brining doesnot work, you might consider using distilled water to cook beans (as well as grains).
Old Beans Even with soft water, some beans can refuse to soften. It turns out that very old beans will never fully hydrate. Since it is nearly impossible to determine their age, I suggest buying dried beans at a store that has a high turnover.
Acidic Solutions Another possible impediment to bean softening is acidic ingredients like vinegar and tomatoes. Wait to add these acidic ingredients until the beans are mostly softened. Alkalinity, on the other hand, has the opposite effect on legumes. A pinch of baking makes bean starches more soluble and thus cause the beans to cook faster.
America test kitchen
All about Beans
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Category: Hints and Tips
Prep Time: Cook Time: Total Time:
The idea of an hour or two in the kitchen tending a pot of cannellini beans or chickpeas becomes more appealing as the weather outside becomes less inviting. In the Test Kitchen, we view all dried legumes (everything from black beans to pigeon peas) as similar, although flavors, textures, and cooking times do vary.
Do not Just Soak Brine
Soaking beans trims the cooking time and improves the final texture of cooked beans. Soaked beans are less likely to explode and will be less starchy than beans that are cooked without soaking. But we do not just soak beans, we brine them. We find that brining beans makes their skins softer.
Why does soaking dried beans in salted water make them cook up with softer skins? It has to do with how the sodium ions in salt interact with the cells of the bean skins. As the beans soak, the sodium ions replace some of the calcium and magnesium ions in the skins. Because sodium ions are weaker than mineral ions, they allow more water to penetrate into the skins, leading to a softer texture. During soaking, the sodium ions will only filter partway into the beans, so their greatest effect is on the cells in the outermost part of the beans.
Upgrade your dried beans with an overnight soak I know this all sounds very technical, but trust me brining beans is the way to go, and it requires no more effort than the traditional overnight soak. For 1 pound of dried beans, dissolve 3 tablespoons of table salt in 4 quarts of cold water. Soak the beans at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. Drain and rinse them well before using. If you happen to soak beans and arent able to use them immediately, they can be drained, transferred to a zipper lock bag, and refrigerated for up to four days before being used without ill affect to flavor or texture. Don’t extend the soaking time. After 24 hours of soaking, beans can lose flavor and develop a mealy texture.
Briney Benefits
For some, the greatest obstacle to preparing beans is not the lack of a good recipe but an aversion to the discomfort associated with digestion. The creation of unwanted intestinal gas begins with the arrival of small chains of carbohydrates (called oligosaccharides) into the large intestine. Many people cannot digest these molecules efficiently, but bacteria residing at the end of the gut do and produce gas as a byproduct. Soaking (or brining) beans has another added benefit—it reduces the amount of offending carbohydrates by about 30 percent.
Easy solutions to common legume quandariesTrouble Shooting Stubborn Beans
Over the years, I have heard from readers who have trouble with our bean recipes. They cant get the beans to soften. There are three possible reasons for this problem: hard water, old age, or acids.
Hard Water Some local tap water is hard its rich in minerals like magnesium and calcium. Brining the beans should help mitigate the effects of hard water. If dripping faucets leave green rings in your sinks and tubs, you have hard water. If brining doesnot work, you might consider using distilled water to cook beans (as well as grains).
Old Beans Even with soft water, some beans can refuse to soften. It turns out that very old beans will never fully hydrate. Since it is nearly impossible to determine their age, I suggest buying dried beans at a store that has a high turnover.
Acidic Solutions Another possible impediment to bean softening is acidic ingredients like vinegar and tomatoes. Wait to add these acidic ingredients until the beans are mostly softened. Alkalinity, on the other hand, has the opposite effect on legumes. A pinch of baking makes bean starches more soluble and thus cause the beans to cook faster.
America test kitchen
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recipe comments
This is from America's Test Kitchen but I have seen many chefs do this and I have done this myself. Just a small pinch, though. (It has been added to cooking tomatoes to cut the acidity, too.)
Comment posted by suemunzlinger
January 26, 2013 9:24 am
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