Small White Beans
By: Anonymous

About

The small white bean is one of the varieties of the common bean. It is popular in the UK and the US and is used in various soups and baked dishes.

Information
Other names: Pea Bean, Cannelini, Navy Bean, White Beans, Haricot, Great Northern
Translations: Mazs balto Pupas, Mažos baltosios pupelės, Mici fasole alba, Mali bijeli grah, Đậu trắng nhỏ, Fasola biała mała, Kleine Witte bonen, छोटे सफेद बीन्स, Pequenas Feijão Branco, Маленькие белые фасоли, Μικρό λευκό Φασόλια, الفاصوليا البيضاء الصغيرة, 작은 흰색 콩, Malé bílé fazole, Мали бели грах, Maliit na White beans, 小白豆, Fesols Blanques, Small White Fižol, Malé biele fazuľa, Piccoli fagioli bianchi, שעועית לבנה קטנה, Små vita bönor, Kacang Putih Kecil, 小白豆, Petits haricots blancs, Kleine weiße Bohnen, Små hvide bønner, Små hvite bønner, Habichuelas Blancas, Маленькі білі квасолі, Pienet valkoisia papuja, Малък бял боб


Physical Description
This bean is pea-sized and creamy white in color. Very popular with pork dishes. Not to be confused with gigante or elefante, which are large white beans.
Colors: white


Tasting Notes
Flavors: sweet, mild
Mouthfeel: Creamy, Dense, Chewy
Food complements: Pork, Chicken
Wine complements: White wine, Sauvignon blanc
Beverage complements: Beer
Substitutes: Kidney beans, Haricot beans


Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Choosing: Small white beans are usually dried and prepackaged into containers. Check for signs of moisture or damage on the container.
Buying: Beans can be bought dried or in cans.


Preparation and Use
White beans should be soaked first to shorten the cooking time. Soak the beans in water for eight hours or overnight inside the fridge.
Avoid adding seasoning or anything salty or acidic to the beans until they are fully cooked. Adding the flavoring too soon will make the beans tough.
Cleaning: Spread the beans on a colored plate to make sure there are no small stones, or damaged beans.
Place beans in a strainer and rinse the beans under cool running water.
Soak the beans for eight hours inside the fridge. Before cooking, drain the soaked beans and rinse again under cool running water.


Conserving and Storing
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry and dark place.


Social/Political
The navy bean is the official vegetable of Massachusetts, the Baked Bean State.
History: White beans were brought to America by migrating Indian tribes. They have become popular in many cultures as a great source of protein.