The One Mistake You Need To Stop Making With Canned Beans

Canned beans are a pantry must-have; this is why they reign supreme, especially in Merry Old England. This makes them perfect for soups, stews, salads, and much more, ready right out of the can. And, you get the nutritious benefit of dried beans without the long soaking and cooking process. The time saved not watching a simmering pot of raw beans frees you up to fine tune the other parts of the meal. However, despite the simplicity of many bean-inclusive recipes, it's quite easy to fall into the mistake of overcooking them, turning them into a mushy mess. 

The common mistake people make with canned beans is assuming that they need to be cooked as long as the other ingredients. But because they come fully cooked, canned beans actually only have to be warmed for about 10 to 15 minutes tops. It's advisable to add them halfway through cooking the other ingredients in your recipe. If you add them too early, and cook them over 30 minutes they will become so soft that they start to fall apart. 

So what you have to do to keep the texture intact is to add them in closer to the end of the recipe's cooking time, most especially if you are making soups or stews. Another important point is to ensure you have a little liquid in the pot while you cook them if you drained them or rinsed them before starting out. 

Whether you are putting them into some simmering soup or making a bean salad, maintaining their firm texture and flavor involves being careful with the amount of time you cook them. To make sure you don't make the mistake of overcooking and ending up with mushy beans, try incorporating them at the final stages of your cooking, especially if you are putting them in your chili or stew. Also, ensure you are cooking them under gentle medium heat. In salads, they don't require any cooking at all; just throw on your favorite dressing and seasonings and you are good to go.

Although it's advised to rinse out your canned beans before use, leaving a little bit of the starchy liquid can be beneficial for certain dishes. The liquid can add a little bit of creaminess to soups and sauces, giving the dish an enhanced flavor without overcooking the beans themselves. 

If you want to drain the beans out completely, then make sure to add extra liquid while you are cooking, like some broth or water. The liquid will help retain the texture of the beans while you cook them. You can always enjoy the perks of canned beans, IF you are able to cook them correctly.