A giant white bean with a soft, thin skin and creamy filling. They literally melt in your mouth. Here's how I cook them to achieve the best flavor and texture.
*See Kitchen Notes for more information, related links and substitutions.
To a bean pot add 6 cups water, the vegetable bouillon paste*, bay leaves, and dried herb mix. Heat over medium high heat. Stir to dissolve the bouillon.
Add the drained, rinsed, beans. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat for a simmer. Cover and cook until beans are al dente, stirring occasionally and checking doneness after 1 hour. Check for bean tenderness after 1 hour, then every 15 minutes until beans are cooked. Beans are cooked when they are creamy, not gritty (uncooked) or mushy (overcooked). Fresh beans take about 1.25 to 1.5 hours to cook, but older beans could take as long as 2.5 to 3 hours.
Remove cover and let cool for about 30 minutes to an hour or use immediately in a dish.
*To use immediately, use a slotted spoon and remove 3 cups of beans for use. Let the rest of the beans and broth cool and save for another meal or freeze.
Cooking water - For vegetarian or vegan beans, use a vegetable broth. I use water and the vegetable base Better than Bouillon paste; however, you can use any broth you choose. Chicken and beef broth provide a different flavor to the finished bean which is just as delicious as using vegetable broth. How you plan to use the beans, dictates what seasoning (broth and herbs) to use. If you use homemade or ready-made broth, omit the vegetable bouillon paste.
Herbs - I normally use an Italian seasoning blend or a mix of herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, a little marjoram, and sometimes sage. Such a blend is a nice seasoning for these beans and doesn't limit the type of dish for which you can use the beans.
Using the cooked beans - One pound of dried beans yields 6 cups of cooked beans. Therefore, I always divide the cooked beans into 3 cup servings for 2 different dishes. Variety is the spice of life after all. :) If I don't have a second dish planned right away, I'll freeze one serving. These beans freeze well, but be sure to cover them with the bean broth to reduce freezer burn. To thaw, set in the refrigerator overnight or on the countertop for about 4 hours.
The broth - I'm a bean broth fanatic so I never throw out bean broth. If you have extra, just freeze it and use it in soups, stews or sauces. Or, like me, heat it up and drink it. The broth is as good as the cooked beans IMO.
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen