help with dried cannellini beans

[pellegrino31]

I need some advice for prepping dried cannellini beans. I soaked some yesterday for about 8 hours (about 5 cups or so) and then simmered on the stove for about 25 minutes (with salt in the water at this point). I was using the guide that Mark Bittman has in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

The biggest problem was that most of the beans split and many had the skins coming off so in the end it just looked like a mess. I ended up making some great white bean hummus so not everything was lost but I was still bummed since the recipes I had in mind wouldn't work as well unless the beans were more intact.

I'm guessing that the time spent soaking and cooking was way too long. How should I adjust my approach with the timing? TIA!

[Father Kitchen]

Cooks Illustrated, in both its recent Cassoulet article and in the current issue, advocates brining the beans when soaking, then rinsing. It goes against everything you hear about not adding salt until the beans are cooked. I've tried it and it works nicely. I don't know how it would affect the problem of skins coming off or not. Curiously, when I was in Africa, our students from Malawi told me that they preferred to soak the beans until the skins were loose, rub them off, and then cook them.

[rainey]

I think you're on the right track. The thing is, you can't cook beans by the clock -- it's always got to be by the bean. The store GREAT but some are older than others and require more cooking time.

Second thing but every bit as important is to cook them low and slow. It's the rough abrasion of things boiling and bouncing around that breaks them up.

Third, in case you've ever heard the old bromide about not adding salt until they're cooked, you certainly can cook them in salted water. I add a clove of garlic, a peeled carrot and half an onion too.

[Appleita]

This is my remedy for cooking wonderful Cannellini and it's never failed me.
Remove all mud, stones or broken, discolored beans. Soak overnight 2 heaping cups (approx. 1 lb) dried beans that are not old or been on the shelf a couple of years. I soak one cup of beans in 3 cups of water as a rule, so it's 6 cups for 2 cups of beans.

If you're going to add seasoning meat or other ingredients that have been prepared (peeled, chopped, cut in chunks (meat), browned, herbs, gather them and put them in the pot now. If you want to salt or add tomatoes wait until half the cooking is done, Acids toughen the skins and salt draws the juices out of the meat.

Drain and rinse them to eliminate the "gas problem" connected with beans. Measure the drained water from the original 3 cups, and then add that same amount to the pot with the beans. Meat you use for seasoning is always better browned before adding and lightly soften the onions and garlic before adding. At this time add the herbs, also. I like thyme, bayleaf and maybe a little rosemary. If you're adding tomatoes you might like some basil and/or oregano.

Heat the pot on top of the stove until it comes to a soft boil. Cover the pot and place it in a 325°F preheated oven and let it sit until it's cooked for 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours. This depends on how fresh your grocer obtained them. Just open the lid and taste one. If it's still hard try another in 15-30 min. Do this until they're done. These beans should not be "al dente". Their great gift is the creamy wonderfulness that they bring..

But cooking them covered at 325° in the oven there is no need to stir them, so there is not problem with broken beans.

Don't forget to add your salt and tomato if desired after about an hour. Pepper you can put in early.

I hope you enjoy your cannellini. I'm making some today with beef. I've never done it that way. I've used cured meats and Lamb really often, but I've never tried beef. I can't wait.

Apple.

[rainey]

Cooking them in a low oven sounds like a great idea to me. Reminds me of my Maine great aunt who did them in a wonderful bean pot with a very narrow lid. I think a slow cooker would do the trick too. Happily, I've got a cooktop with a *great* simmer so that works for me. But there's some great advice there, Appleita,

[scubadoo97]

I'll reinforce the idea of cooking beans in the oven instead of the stove. In the oven they are truly set and forget unless you are testing for doneness. You don't have to stir occasionally like you do on the stove where the heat is coming from the bottom only.

[rainey]

I'm game for giving the oven a try. But I *never* stir the beans simmering on my cooktop. Do't have any great philosophical objection to doing it -- just never saw any need to.

[Mandy]

I followed your instructions and my beans were delicious! I'd never cooked dried beans before and cannot wait to do so again...the texture was wonderful. I added spinach and mixed with pasta. Thanks! Mandy

[joestrike]

TAKE IT EASY ON THOSE POOR BEANS! TRY BRINGING TO A ROLLING BOIL, THEN REDUCE TO A SIMMER FOR A LONGER, SLOWER COOK.

[scubadoo97]

why I don't soak. I've seen this happen with black beans on the few occasions where I soaked them. Never again.

[rainey]

I've soaked and not soaked. I can't tell the difference in finished beans. Just cook them gently!

[Finnegan]

Add a tomato and a potato when soaking beans (tomato for acid, potato for starch). Makes the bean skins nice and tender, but prevents cracking

[alkapal]

i thought adding acid at the beginning of cooking would make them not cook through evenly -- and in time. but the soaking maybe is different? hmmmm...... or maybe i'm thinking of salt. but here, at the bottom of this article, there is a chart that shows some acidic elements (vinegar) being added to soaking water for certain beans -- like black beans, but not for white beans..... http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/cooking-legumes.html

anyhow, this article explains that long soaking makes for more nutritional beans: http://wss.nourishingconnections.org/...

i'll add these to my research on legumes, which i'm planning to share with hounds in a bit....

[Potomac Bob]

I read somewhere, but don't remember where for sure that there's a difference in cooking dried beans covered and cooking them uncovered. This article, which I've never tried to confirm for myself, said that dried beans cooked covered will result in the condition you described - they'll split and turn into mush; cooking them uncovered, for the same amount of time, it said, will result in individual beans.

[trentyzan]

Well yeah, but you can control the temperature and pressure more exactly than by simply using a lid or not. And there are chemical factors that you can modify as above, it's not voodoo.

[Potomac Bob]

trentyzan
Dunno about the O.P., but you've convinced me. I'll try your method next time I want individual beans, which is every time because it's the way S.O. prefers it.

[trentyzan]

Try adding an acid and a sugar when cooking, no salt until cooked. Salt promotes cracking, the other two help prevent it. Acids can be tomato paste, apple vinegar, lemon juice etc. Sugars can be molasses, brown sugar, rock sugar, etc.

[pellegrino31]

thanks - i'll definitely try that!

[trentyzan]

Sure, pomegranate molasses goes well as a sugar also - or harissa as an acid for Mid-East recipes. And leftover prosciutto heels or parmesan rinds are nice if you're making Italian.

[FED]

boy, if this works for you, great, but i've cooked a LOT of beans and this goes against everything i've learned.
1) salting at the beginning isn't bad, but at least halfway through the cooking is absolutely necessary for getting great flavored-beans (the salt penetrates the bean this way, rathe than flavoring the broth).
2) adding acid at the beginning is usually a bad idea because it stops or drastically delays the softening (that's why you add molasses to boston baked beans after they're already soft ... and then cook them for another 2 hours).

the technique I use, and have been using for years: Put the beans, unsoaked, in a dutch oven and cover with water (6 cups for 1 pound). Bring to a bare simmer on the stove, cover and bake at 350 until tender. it'll take 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. this no-soak is predicated on having beans that haven't been sitting on store shelves for a couple of years. the flavor is much better cooked this way.

[MSK]

This site supports your interpretation trentyzan, (and how can someplace called cannellini.com be wrong???)

http://www.cannellini.com/

"Cannellini beans, like other kidney beans, require special preparation to remove compounds that can cause gastric distress. The beans only need to be boiled for 10 minutes to remove the toxins, but boiling is the key. Even though recommended cooking time is much longer than 10 minutes be sure to boil the beans for at least that long. Slow cookers, for instance, aren't hot enough to produce the temperature needed to remove the compounds. Soak your cannellini beans overnight, then boil them for 10 minutes before reducing the heat and simmering them for 1-2 hours or until tender. Adding salt to the cooking water can toughen some beans, with their already firm texture and skin you might want to go easy on the salt, or leave it out entirely."