How to choose the right beans?

The beans can be round, oval, or flat. Their size can reach 2 cm in diameter. Unripe beans have a green color of valves and grains, but during ripening, the color changes depending on the characteristics of a particular variety. The surface of the beans is always smooth.

The most common bean colors are:

• green;
• yellowish;
• brown;
• black;
• dark purple.

On store shelves, you can often see dried beans in special packages. Less commonly, beans may appear on the market in pods or fresh, but peeled. Choosing beans, regardless of how they are sold, must follow certain rules. Buying spoiled beans can not only ruin the experience of a dish, but also harm your health as a result of eating them.

How to choose beans

If the beans are sold in a package, then you should carefully check it for damage. Packages with tears or accumulation of condensate inside are not worth buying. Packaging dates and expiration dates should also be checked very carefully.

Green and dried beans are used in cooking in different ways, so it is worth determining in advance what dish they are purchased for. The second option has a more rigid grain structure, therefore it is more suitable for combination with products that go through several stages of heat treatment. Green beans are suitable for any cooking process from roasting to braising.

What beans are worth buying:

• the beans should be approximately the same size;
• the beans should be smooth and not stick together;
• the beans must be dry (moisture is the only reason for the appearance of mold in the beans);
• it is better to buy beans that were packaged no more than a year ago;
• there is a rare variety of beans with a wrinkled surface (in this case, an unusual appearance is not a deviation, but is considered a feature of the variety, and they taste and aroma resemble cinnamon);
• the mixture of beans should not contain a significant amount of debris (particles of leaves, valves or stems are acceptable, but their presence in the beans should be almost single);
• if the beans are purchased in pods, then there should be no spots, dots or traces of insect damage on the surface of the valves (there should also be no traces of rotting or moist areas on the pods);
• the beans should not have a coating resembling dust (this is a sign of spoilage of the beans);
• when you press the pod blade, a kind of click should be heard (if the flaps do not open, then the beans are spoiled).

What beans can not be bought:

• if the mixture of beans consists of grains of different sizes, then you should not buy it (in this case, either beans of different ages or different varieties are mixed);
• if the beans stick together, you shouldn’t buy them;
• pale or uneven color of the beans indicates improper storage;
• the wrinkled surface of the beans should be a reason for refusing to buy them (such beans are stored for too long, it will be difficult to cook them, and the taste of the final dish will be disturbed);
• it is also better not to buy wet beans (it is difficult to find out the reason for the appearance of moisture, but, perhaps, using this method unscrupulous sellers tried to wash off the mold or other signs of spoilage of the grains);
• overripe beans have a bitter taste, so their use can drastically spoil the taste of the dish;
• if the pod blade is elastic and does not open when pressed, then it is not recommended to buy such beans (most likely, they will be spoiled and have impaired taste properties).

When buying beans, you need to take into account some of the nuances of their preparation.… Green seeds cook faster and have a more tender texture. Dark, hard-surfaced beans will need to be soaked in advance, which will take longer to cook.