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
I soak my beans overnight, change the water, and salt them after the first boil but before turning the water down to a fast simmer. Whyyyyyyy do I do this? Err my grandmothers told me to.....:D;).
'Course being a rebel without a cause I tried out the fast method of soaking and found out for myself they were right as usual. Never questioned or 'sperimented with the salt method but apparently Serious Eats did:
I haven't checked to see if they fast or overnight soaked the beans but it is certainly something to consider in assessing the validity of this "de-bunking".
'Course being a rebel without a cause I tried out the fast method of soaking and found out for myself they were right as usual. Never questioned or 'sperimented with the salt method but apparently Serious Eats did:
Kenji Lopez-Alt, The Food Lab of Serious Eats website wrote:
Myth number 6. Salting Beans During Cooking Will Make Them Tough
Most of us have been told at some point in our culinary careers that salting beans will cause them to toughen. It's incredible that this little bit of culinary mis-wisdom still lingers, for it couldn't be further from the truth. A simple side-by-side test can prove to you conclusively that salting beans (both the water used to soak them in and the water used to cook them) actually tenderizes the skins.
It's got to do with magnesium and calcium, two ions found in the bean skins that help keep the structure of the beans' skin intact. When you soak the beans in salt water, sodium ions end up replacing some of the magnesium and calcium, effectively softening the skins. Your beans come out creamier, better seasoned, and have a much smaller likelihood of exploding while cooking.
I haven't checked to see if they fast or overnight soaked the beans but it is certainly something to consider in assessing the validity of this "de-bunking".
