8 Tips for Cooking Beans Perfectly

Master cooking beans from scratch for better texture and perfect results every time.

Fast cooking causes beans to break. Simmering keeps them whole and prevents sticking to the bottom of the pot.
A tablespoon of butter, salad oil, or drippings, added to beans during cooking, keeps down foam.
In hard-water areas and in high altitudes, increase the cooking time.
Chopped onion, green pepper, pimiento, celery, herbs, or meat, added during the cooking period, will give a ton of extra flavor to bean dishes.
Wait until beans are almost tender before adding tomatoes, lemon juice, vinegar, or wine because acid slows down the softening process.
Stick a sample bean or two with the point of a sharp knife or a fork to see if they are tender.
ln a pressure cooker, beans will not foam or clog the pressure vent if the cooker is no more than 1/3 full and if 1 tablespoon butter or drippings is added. Also, during cooking, the pressure should not fluctuate; at end of cooking time, remove cooker from the heat so that pressure will drop gradually.
Cooked beans and bean dishes freeze well.

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