How to buy good beans
You don't need to buy fancy beans, but you'll notice a difference between good beans and mediocre ones.
What's a good bean? When cooking from dried, the biggest factor is freshness. When your beans are old, they can take forever to cook. (Got some questionble beans? Soak 'em overnight. I almost never soak, but if I suspect my beans aren't fresh, that's when I do.)
Store-bought beans are a mixed bag, but the fancy beans I've ordered have always been fresh. Now, you'll be spending six bucks (plus shipping, etc.) per bag, which is pricey for beans but still pretty cheap compared to other proteins. So if that's in your budget, buy fancy beans! If not, that's alright!
Store-bought dried bean tips
The budget-friendly option is not a bad one! Just keep a few things in mind...
Read the “best by” date
If it's a couple years from now, that's good.
Stock up at stores that cater to bean eaters
You're more likely to find fresh beans at stores that sell a lot of beans! The supermarket is fine, but I prefer to shop for beans at my local South Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern markets.
Be cautious in the bulk section
I'm not saying that bulk beans are bad. The problem is you have no idea how long they've been in those bins, or if older beans are mixed in with fresh ones. I don't love the extra packaging, but a sealed bag of beans is probably going to be more consistently reliable.
Look at them
Are there lots of broken beans? Do they look dusty? Maybe find another bag/brand.
But don't be snooty
Here in Texas, I buy an awesome, local brand of pintos. The bags ain't much to look at, and they cost pretty much the same as the cheap house brand. Find some fresh-looking beans you don't recognize? Give it a try!
Fancy dried bean tips
You're probably not going to go wrong with expensive mail-order beans. But here's a few things I think about...
Debris is normal
When I cook a pot of beans, the first step is to rinse and pick any stones, clots of dirt, etc. I've found this task to be more necessary with fancy beans. The big store brands less so.
Try something new
To me, the biggest reason to order beans is variety. There's some special ones out there: Christmas Lima, Good Mother Stallard, Santa Maria Pinquitos, to name just a few. If I'm ordering, I always try to add a bag of something I haven't tried yet.
Buuuut some beans don't need to be fancy
I rarely mail order pintos, mayocobas or black beans. The fancy ones are great, but they're also all readily available and fresh at my local Mexican grocery stores. And when I'm stocking up on chickpeas, I might buy a big bag at the South Asian store, or look in the Latin American or Middle Eastern section of my supermarket.
(This is where Whole Foods has failed me — they've got fancy beans, but rarely varieties that're worth paying extra for if you've got another source.)
Fresh/frozen bean tips
You can get fresh/frozen beans? Lucky! I don't buy them often, but if your grocer or farmers market has 'em, yeah! Try that! They'll cook up much faster than dried. Want to grow your own? Super! I doubt that I'll be writing about fresh beans much here on Bean Tips but they're a special treat!
Sources/brands
- Rancho Gordo are the original fancy California bean people. I've bought from them for years, and love their beans, books, and everything else. Try the banana vinegar!
- Sheridan Acres grows their beans in Michigan and I've enjoyed everything I've ordered from them.
- Zursun beans are from Idaho and came to me highly recommended from a Bean Tips reader. I haven't placed an order yet, but am looking forward to trying them out!
- Camellia is known for their red beans, but I've enjoyed all their products. They're from Louisiana, but might be available at a store near you. They also do mail order.
- Verde Valle is a large Mexican brand and my usual if I'm at a Latin American grocery store.
- Casserole is the local brand of pintos I mentioned above. No idea how widely available they are outside of Texas but if you can find 'em, grab some.
- Goya's former CEO was an ass. I don't know much about their new leadership, but I generally avoid their products. That said, if you're in a pinch, their beans are better than the others you'll find at the supermarket.
Send me your bean shopping tips!
I hope to expand the list above, with your help! Got a favorite mail-order brand? A store brand that you love? Another tip for buying dried beans? Drop me an email!