Beans are the seeded pods of the legume family. A food staple in many cultures for thousands of years, beans remain an important part of cuisines all around the world. There are hundreds of varieties of beans. Some are grown for their edible pods while others for their seeds, which are used either fresh or dried. The varieties described here are among the most common in North America.

Also known as turtle beans, black beans are very important to the cuisines of Latin America and the Caribbean. These small jet-black beans have an earthy, meaty flavor and mealy texture. They are eaten as an accompaniment to Latin or Caribbean entrées and are the basis for Cuban black bean soup. Black beans can be added to soups, stews, casseroles and salads. They are available both dried and canned.

This southern favorite is really a bean, not a pea. Black-eyed peas are small tan beans that take their name from the black eye-shaped mark on the inner curve of the bean. Their mealy texture and earthy flavor are enhanced by long, slow cooking with ham or salt pork. These beans are the basis for Hoppin' John, a dish of black-eyed peas and rice. Southerners believe that eating black-eyed peas or Hoppin' John on New Year's Day brings good luck for the year to come. These beans are occasionally available fresh, but for the most part, they are dried or canned.

see Kidney Bean

Also known as garbanzo or ceci beans, chick-peas are larger than green peas. They are round, irregularly shaped tan beans with a firm texture and mild, nutlike flavor. Popular in the Mediterranean region, India and the Middle East, chick-peas are used extensively in these cuisines. Brought to Spain by the Moors, they are often used in Spanish and Mexican cuisines. Chick-peas are the basis for hummus, a mixture of mashed beans, garlic, lemon juice and oil, which is used as a dip or a spread. Chick-peas are also an ingredient in couscous, soups and salads. They are available canned, dried and in some parts of the country, fresh.

Cranberry beans have mottled reddish markings. They are occasionally available fresh and already shelled in the summer months. In some parts of the country fresh cranberry beans in pods can be found at farmers' markets. The pods, which are inedible, are whitish-green in color with red striations. Use cranberry beans in minestrone or other soups and stews.

Great Northern beans are large white beans with a delicate flavor. They can be used in soups, stews, baked beans and salads. Great Northern beans are available both dried and canned.

This bean gets its name because of its shape. Kidney beans have skins that range from very dark red to pink and flesh that is cream colored. Kidney beans are noted for their robust flavor. Milder flavored white kidney beans, which are more difficult to find, are better known as cannellini beans. Use kidney beans in chilis, soups, stews and salads. Cannellini beans are the traditional beans for the Italian Pasta e Fagioli or "pasta and bean soup." Kidney beans and cannellini beans are available both dried and canned.

Lima beans are relatively large, flat kidney-shaped light green beans. When found fresh in the pod, lima beans are shelled and the tough and stringy beans are discarded. Fresh, already shelled lima beans are sometimes available in the supermarket. Lima beans are cooked and eaten most frequently as a side dish. Combined with corn and sometimes green or red bell pepper, they are used to make succotash.

There are two distinct varieties of lima beans. Fordhooks are large, slightly plump pale green beans with a full flavor. Baby limas, which are not immature Fordhooks, but a separate variety, are half the size of Fordhooks and less plump. Dried lima beans are sometimes referred to as butter beans.

Fresh lima beans are generally available year-round in the pod or shelled. Peak season is August through September. Lima beans are also available dried, frozen and canned.

Look for green, shiny and pliable pods; beans should fill pods well. Avoid pods with signs of drying. When buying shelled beans, choose plump beans with green to greenish-white skins. Avoid beans with brown blemishes or shriveled skins.

Half the weight of fresh lima beans is in the pods and is waste. Although yields vary according to the size of the bean, 1 pound lima beans = 1 to 1-1/2 cups shelled beans.

Refrigerate lima bean pods in a perforated plastic bag for up to three days. Store shelled beans, tightly wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator for up to three days. Store dried beans in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a year.

Snap off the stem and pull the string down the length of the bean. Open the pod at the seam by pinching the pod between your two thumbs and forefingers.

These small oval-shaped white beans are the bean of choice for commercial baked beans and homemade navy bean soup. Navy beans are so named because they were a food staple for the U.S. Navy in the 1800's. They are available both dried and canned.

Pinto beans are popular Spanish beans that are pale pink in color with reddish-brown streaks. They are used as the basis for refried beans and are an ingredient in soups and chilis. They are available both dried and canned.

These beans have been presoaked and redried. They do not need to be presoaked before cooking.

These fresh edible-podded beans are harvested when their seeds are immature. They are eaten pod and all.

Edible-podded beans include green or string beans, yellow wax beans and haricot vert. Green beans are the most recognized and well liked of the edible-podded beans. Growers have virtually eliminated the tough strings that once characterized these beans. Similar in flavor to green beans but much less popular are yellow wax beans. They are, as their name implies, pale yellow in color. A traditional use of yellow wax beans is as one of the beans in three-bean salad. Haricot vert are extremely slender, stringless beans that have long been popular in France. Noted for their tenderness and sweet flavor, they are now grown commercially in the United States. However, they are expensive and difficult to find.

Green beans are generally available year-round in the supermarket, but the supply peaks from May through September. Haricot vert can be found in some specialty produce markets. Home gardeners find that most edible-podded bean varieties are easy to grow and that seeds for less common varieties are increasingly easy to find. Green beans (cut and French-cut) are also available frozen and canned. Yellow wax beans are available canned.

Choose brightly colored, unblemished beans. Slenderness is an indication of tenderness. Pods should be crisp. Avoid pods that are limp, moldy or show signs of browning or drying. If the outline of the beans can be seen in the pods, the pods are over-mature.

1 pound green beans = 3-1/2 cups whole; 2-3/4 cups pieces.

Refrigerate edible-podded beans, unwashed, in a perforated plastic bag for three to four days.

Wash the beans. If strings are present, snap off the stem ends of the beans, pulling the strings down the length of the beans. Discard the stems and strings. If no strings are present, snap off and discard the stem ends. Break beans into short lengths or cut them French-style. Young, very tender beans may be left whole. To cut beans French-style, slice beans lengthwise into halves or quarters with a chef's knife on a cutting board.

see Black Bean

Dried beans are packaged in plastic bags or sold in bulk. Look for beans that are plump and free of blemishes. Avoid discolored or shriveled beans. Tiny holes are an indication of bug infestation.

1 pound dried beans = 2-1/2 cups uncooked; 5-1/2 to 6-1/2 cups cooked.

Store dried beans in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a year. Canned beans can be stored in a cool, dry place for two years.

Before using, rinse dried beans under running water and pick out any debris or blemished beans. Dried beans should soak in water for several hours or overnight to soften before cooking. To soak beans, place them in a large saucepan or bowl and cover with 3 inches of water. Let stand, covered, for 6 hours or overnight. Do not soak beans longer than 12 hours or they may begin to ferment. Drain beans before cooking. See the Bean Cooking Chart (in the Index) for cooking times.

To cook beans, gently simmer in water until tender, generally 2 to 3 hours.

Place beans in the pan in which they will be cooked. Cover with 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 to 2 hours. Proceed with recipe.

Salt and acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes and wine, slow cooking and toughen beans. Add them during the last 30 minutes of cooking.