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SMART SHOPPING: Dried Black Beans

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Though canned beans are incredibly convenient, for dishes in which the beans truly take center stage, we prefer the flavor and texture provided by dried beans. To find the best dried black beans, we sampled three brands cooked plain and in a recipe for black beans and rice. Surprisingly, the single mail-order variety, a pricey heirloom bean, became mushy, but the beans from the two national supermarket brands were perfectly creamy. Our favorite was Goya Dried Black Beans, which offered “nutty,” “buttery” bean flavor and a reliably uniform texture.