Have a can of black beans in your pantry? You’re ready to make one heck of a veggie burger. But first, here’s a little history on canned beans.
The process of getting beans from the plant to the can is a marvel of culinary engineering. First, bean plants are cut down and left to dry out. Then, machines separate the dried beans from their pods. While the exact canning process varies from brand to brand, it usually starts with cleaning the beans, sorting them by size, and removing any beans that are damaged.
Then, the dried beans are quickly cooked in hot water before they’re sealed in their cans along with water and salt. The salt not only seasons the beans, but also makes their skins more tender. Finally, the beans are pressure cooked, right in their cans—no pot required. The result? Perfectly cooked, flavorful beans, ready to use at a moment’s notice.
Black Bean Burgers
Serves 4
