Beans: to salt or not to salt?
That is the question...and we're talking about dried beans here. When cooking beans meant to be consumed whole (baked beans, chili etc.) I was taught not to add salt or anything else until they we...
Forum Discussion
If you add any other ingredients to the dish that contain salt (ham, canned tomatoes, broth, bbq sauce, etc.) then you are adding salt.
If you add no salt in any form, then the beans will cook much more quickly.
So, for the fastest, most delicious results, cook the beans with only water and salt-free flavorings, and then add the salted flavorings and a cook a little while more so the flavors can blend.
Of course, this ONLY applies to dried beans. Canned beans are already cooked and salted :).
I have never heard of any health effects either way. I do find that if I eat beans without any form of salt, I crave salt a few hours later. I'd guess this means that digesting them uses up salt from elsewhere in my body.
(I hope y'all don't mind me butting in, here :). I have been READING this forum so much the past few months, trying to learn from everyone, that I forget I have not posted much and so I am still a stranger! But there are rarely discussions where I feel I have anything useful to add. I am an RVing newbie, but a cooking oldie :)
If you add no salt in any form, then the beans will cook much more quickly.
So, for the fastest, most delicious results, cook the beans with only water and salt-free flavorings, and then add the salted flavorings and a cook a little while more so the flavors can blend.
Of course, this ONLY applies to dried beans. Canned beans are already cooked and salted :).
I have never heard of any health effects either way. I do find that if I eat beans without any form of salt, I crave salt a few hours later. I'd guess this means that digesting them uses up salt from elsewhere in my body.
(I hope y'all don't mind me butting in, here :). I have been READING this forum so much the past few months, trying to learn from everyone, that I forget I have not posted much and so I am still a stranger! But there are rarely discussions where I feel I have anything useful to add. I am an RVing newbie, but a cooking oldie :)
