White beans, including navy, great northern, and cannellini, have smooth, cream-colored skin and a slightly nutty flavor. They can be purchased fresh, dried, or canned and are best used in stews, soups, and salads. They work well with sweet flavors, meats, and fresh herbs.
Several types of common beans may be referred to as white beans, including blue beans, great northern beans, and cannellini beans. The best specimens of all varieties have smooth, cream-colored skin when fresh or dry, with no wrinkles, dark spots or holes, and are tan when cooked. The skin should be thin and delicate, while the inner kernel should be relatively starchy with a slight nutty flavor. These beans work best in stews, soups and salads, accompanied by fresh herbs, meat or dairy ingredients.
Navy, Great Northern and Cannellini beans are all slightly different in size and shape, but share their pale color and slightly nutty flavor. You can usually substitute one variety for another in recipes, although cannellini beans are a bit larger than the other types and are used in traditional Italian recipes, while blue beans are almost as small as peas and are traditional in beans. baked. Big Nordic Beans are medium in size and texture, making them very versatile in cooking.
These beans can be purchased fresh, dried, or canned, with fresh beans producing the best results, dried beans costing the least, and canned beans offering the most convenience. If you buy fresh or dried white beans, look for specimens with an off-white to cream skin without holes, cracks or wrinkles. Avoid discolored beans, which can be spoiled, as well as beans with very hard seeding, as they may be difficult to cook. When buying canned beans, make sure the can is intact with no rust or dents.
All white beans can be cooked by boiling or simmering in water, with canned beans cooking the fastest, followed by fresh, dry types. The bean is fully cooked when the skin turns pale cream to tan and is slightly transparent, covering a soft, starchy interior. Beans are undercooked if they stay crunchy or resist biting, and are overcooked if they start to lose their shape or disintegrate.
These beans work best in dishes that showcase their tenderness and delicate taste, including salads, stews, and soups. Traditionally, white beans are often combined with sweet flavors like brown sugar or maple syrup, meats like pork or bacon, and fresh herbs like sage, bay leaves, and rosemary. They also go well with butter or cream in some soups and with alliums such as onions and garlic. White beans work best in European and North American cuisines, but they’re a poor choice for chiles, refried beans, and similar dishes.
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