Why are they called navy beans?
Why are they called navy beans?
Navy beans are small and oval and cook relatively quickly (which, as Aliza Green notes in The Bean Bible, has made them popular with commercial baked bean manufacturers).
Known as Boston beans, the white coco, pea beans or alubias chicas, navy beans are perfect for dishes that don't need the full bean shape to shine: purées, soups, stews and baked beans.
Navy beans get their name because of their role as a staple food for the U.S. Navy. The beans were first mixed with molasses and canned in 1875; Heinz introduced canned beans with tomato sauce in 1895.
What's the point of covering a pot of water you've set to boil?
What's the point of covering a pot of water you've set to boil?
A watched pot never boils? Well, put a cover on said pot and it will boil before you know it, even right before your very eyes. Putting a cover on a pot of water you've set to boil is one of those time- and energy-saving tricks that is so obvious that it just may take years for it to dawn on you.
Covering your pot will trap heat, prevent evaporation, build pressure, and get your water boiling faster. Just remember that once you remove the lid, it will take the water a moment to return to a full boil.
what you should know
Though they are not exactly noble, white beans can amount to quite a lot in this crazy, mixed-up world.
For example, during the Hundred Years' War, some crafty French villagers were holed up, surrounded by the English. Using white beans as a base, they made a stew with their remaining rations and the result became known as cassoulet. (Also, a chicken stew with white beans was said to have been the favorite meal of Count Dracula.)
bean town Like all legumes, white beans are high in fiber, versatile and widespread. Still, nothing special enough to use as a mascot or a statue.
dry vs. canned While we love the variety and flavor of long-cooked dry beans, we also appreciate that canned beans are some of the best canned food products out there. When you're hurting for time, they're a fine substitute for dry beans. (You should always rinse canned beans, though.)
cannellini vs. great northern vs. navy All three are sold as "white beans." What's the difference between them?
"hill of beans" The phrase, immortalized by Bogart at the end of Casablanca, is used to describe something of little or no value. This story about a patented legume, however, shows how much a bean can be worth.
what you need
Show us a man who gets excited about a can opener and we'll give him a hobby. Still, being a lefty who has sliced many fingers while prying the tops off of canned beans, Chip really does delight in using the Kuhn Rikon Safety Lid Lifter. True to its title, it lifts the lid right off. No prying needed, and no awkward hand movements.
Go buy two excellent new books by bean-loving food bloggers who inspire Cookthink: Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson, and Gluten-Free Girl, by Shauna James Ahern.
In Maya Angelou's Hallelujah! The Welcome Table, the writer remembers her most important cassoulet in a chapter called "M.F.K. Fisher and a White Bean Feast."
what you do
You can combine almost anything with white beans and burrito and come out okay. This broccoli and white bean burrito is a good option for reluctant broccoli eaters.
It's a lot of pale food on one plate, but we promise you won't care when you take a bite of these Brussels sprouts with white beans and pecorino.
A simple white bean ragout with lemongrass is an unbaked and vaguely Southeast Asian take on Boston baked beans.
Turkish white bean salad is a classic side dish with any number of variations. You might find a recipe with honey or dill or sumac or pomegranate seeds. We like it with a hint of Za'atar.
You have 10 minutes to throw something together before heading out. This tuna, white bean and red pepper salad is high in protein and fiber (not to mention delicious).
If you need to remind yourself that life can be spectacular, make this pesto pizza with tomatoes, white beans and goat cheese.
A pulse is another name for a number of dried legume seeds from pod plants including kidney beans, chickpeas, peas, lentils, soybeans and peanuts.
Because they pack high energy and low water content, pulses can be stored easily for long periods (unlike fresh vegetables). Mixed with grains and fresh vegetables, they are a vital source of vegetarian protein. Pulses are also cheap, making them a popular ingredient around the world, frequently eaten in everyday dishes like Indian dal.
Cannellini beans vs. Great Northern beans vs. Navy beans
Cannellini beans vs. Great Northern beans vs. Navy beans
Cannellini, Great Northern and Navy are three popular types of white beans. What's the difference between them?
Cannellini beans are large and have that traditional kidney shape. With a slightly nutty taste and mild earthiness, they have a relatively thin skin and tender, creamy flesh. They hold their shape well and are one of the best white beans for salads and ragouts.
Great Northern beans are smaller than cannellinis and and suitable for any number of uses: salads, soups, stews, ragouts, purees. Their texture is slightly grainy, with a nutty, dense flavor. Popular in North America, Great Northerns look like white baby lima beans.
Navy beans are small and oval and cook relatively quickly (which, as Aliza Green notes in The Bean Bible, has made them popular with commercial baked bean manufacturers). Known as Boston beans, the white coco, pea beans or alubias chicas, Navy beans are perfect for dishes that don't need the full bean shape to shine: purees, soups, stews and baked beans.
It's great to know the differences between the three and it's worth paying more attention to them when you're using dried beans. Truthfully though, when we use canned white beans, we use these three almost interchangeably.
Recipe: Italian Cabbage And White Bean Soup
Recipe: Squid, White Bean And Arugula Salad
Recipe: Tuscan White Bean Stew (VeganYumYum)
