Everything you always wanted to know about beans,

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but didn't know you wanted to ask!

How to cook, info on presoaking, when to add other ingredients, what to cook them in, and many other goodies:

http://www.legumechef.com/English/consejos_en.htm

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. actually I take exception to the recommendation on salting

If you WANT your beans to fall apart...salt at the very end of cooking them...if you are making them for use in a salad or wish for them to remain as close to whole as possible, salt them early..the salt toughens the skins so they don't fall apart as easily and sometimes I want them that way. :hi:

Great site though :D

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2. I had never known about the salting thing.

All those years, and I never paid any attention to how my mom cooked things like this. How I wish I had!

I knew not to put tomatoes in early, though; learned that the hard way with pellet-like kidney beans in a chili I made once.

[NMDemDist2]

3. grammy used to test red, pink and pinto beans for doneness by

blowing on them

if the skin split from your breath they were done :)