White Beans - what's the difference? • Laura Gee

The term “white bean” can be correctly applied to any bean that is white or off-white in color. Cannellini, Great Northern and Navy Beans are the three most popular white beans and though they have slightly different appearances and tastes, their nutrition tends to be very similar, and they are often interchangeable in recipes. I basically use whatever I have on hand.

However, there are slight differences as summarized below.

Cannellini Beans

Best for: salads & ragouts

large
indigenous to Italy
traditional kidney shape
slight nutty taste and mild earthiness
relatively thin skin and tender, creamy flesh
hold their shape well

Great Northern Beans

Best for: salads, soups, stews, ragouts, purees

smaller than cannellinis
take longer to cook than Navy beans
slightly grainy texture and a nutty, dense flavor
similar appearance to white lima beans

Navy beans

Best for: purees, soups, stews and baked beans

primary food supply by U.S. naval forces in the early 1900s
small and oval
cook relatively quickly
break down easily when exposed to heat; excellent thickeners for recipes
Also referred to as Boston beans, the white coco, pea beans or alubias chicas. It’s great to know the differences between the three and it’s worth paying more attention to them when you’re using dried beans. Truthfully though, when we use canned white beans, we use these three almost interchangeably.

White beans are typically high in fiber (approximately 10.5 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup). They are also a good protein source, high in potassium, folate, vitamins C and B6, calcium, and iron.

Flatulence

Beans, beans, the musical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel
So we have beans at every meal!

One of the biggest noted bean issues is flatulence. This is caused when the body fails to break down all of the beans’ sugar molecules. This situation can be uncomfortable or embarrassing. In many cases, simply rinsing the beans thoroughly — or soaking them a number of times, in the case of dried beans, can help reduce the risk of flatulence by reducing the beans latent sugars. Also, the fresher the bean, the lesser the gas. You’re welcome.