How to Cook Cranberry Beans on the Stove

What cranberry beans are

Cranberry beans, also sold as borlotti beans, are cream-colored beans streaked with pinkish-red. The name comes from their coloring and has nothing to do with cranberries. They have a creamy texture and a mild, slightly nutty flavor. The pretty markings fade as the beans cook, so expect them to turn a more uniform tan or pinkish-brown in the pot.

You may find them two ways: fresh in the pod in late summer and fall, or dried year-round. The stovetop method is similar for both, but timing and soaking differ.

Fresh vs dried cranberry beans

These are ranges, not guarantees. Bean age, size, and your water all affect timing, so taste as you go.

What you need

• Cranberry beans (fresh in the pod or dried)
• Water, or a light stock
• Salt
• Optional aromatics: garlic, bay leaf, thyme or sage, a splash of olive oil, a piece of onion

A medium or large pot with a lid works well. A heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven helps keep the simmer gentle and steady.

How to cook fresh cranberry beans on the stove

1. Shell the beans. Split the pods open and pop out the beans. As a rough guide, a pound of beans in the pod yields a little over a cup of shelled beans, enough for a couple of servings.
2. Rinse. Give the shelled beans a quick rinse in a colander.
3. Cover with water. Put them in a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by about an inch. Add aromatics if you like.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and partially or fully cover.
5. Cook until tender. Start checking at around 20 minutes. Many cooks find fresh beans are ready in about 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Season. Add salt once the beans have begun to soften, then let them simmer a few more minutes. Taste and adjust.

Keep the heat gentle. A hard, rolling boil can split the skins and turn the beans mushy.

How to cook dried cranberry beans on the stove

1. Sort and rinse. Spread the beans on a tray, remove any debris or shriveled beans, and rinse well.
2. Soak (optional). See below.
3. Cover with fresh water. Drain soaked beans and put them in a large pot with fresh water, about two inches above the beans. For unsoaked beans, use a little more water, since they will absorb more as they cook.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer. Boil briefly, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Skim off any foam.
5. Cook until fully tender. Soaked beans are commonly done in roughly 30 to 45 minutes. Unsoaked beans can take noticeably longer, often an hour or more, so keep tasting. Top up with hot water if the level drops below the beans.
6. Season with salt partway through or toward the end, and simmer a little longer so it is absorbed.

To soak or not to soak

Soaking is optional. Many cooks soak dried beans in cold water for about 6 to 8 hours, or overnight, to shorten the cooking time and encourage even cooking. If you skip it, plan for a longer simmer and check the water level more often. Discard the soaking water and cook in fresh water.

How to tell when they are done

Scoop out a few beans and taste them. A cooked cranberry bean should be soft and creamy all the way through, with no chalky or grainy center and no firm bite. Beans in the same pot can finish at slightly different times, so test more than one.

It is worth cooking beans fully. Raw or undercooked beans can cause stomach upset, and some varieties need thorough boiling. If in doubt, simmer a bit longer rather than stopping early.

Flavoring the pot

Cranberry beans take well to simple flavors:

• Olive oil and garlic: Gently cook crushed garlic in olive oil, add herbs, then the beans and water.
• Herbs: Thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano or a bay leaf all work.
• Something juicy: A spoonful of tomato or a splash of stock can add depth.
• Finish: A little olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar and black pepper brighten the cooked beans.

Troubleshooting

• Beans stay hard: Old dried beans can take much longer. Keep simmering gently and add hot water as needed. Very hard water or acidic ingredients (tomato, vinegar, lemon) added early can slow softening, so add acids later.
• Beans split or turn mushy: The heat was likely too high, or they cooked too long. Lower the heat and begin testing earlier next time. Mushy beans still work well mashed into a spread or blended into soup.
• Color faded: This is normal. The speckled color does not survive cooking.
• Bland flavor: Salt the beans while they cook and season again at the end.

Can you eat the pods?

The pods of cranberry beans are generally tough and fibrous, and are normally discarded. People usually shell the beans and cook only the seeds inside. Mature pods are not typically eaten as a vegetable.

Are cranberry beans the same as kidney beans?

No. They are different beans, though both are in the same broad species group as many common beans. Cranberry beans are speckled and tend to be creamier and milder, while kidney beans are typically deep red and hold their shape more firmly. Cranberry beans can often stand in for pinto or cannellini beans in recipes, with some difference in flavor and texture.

Storing leftovers

Cool cooked beans promptly and refrigerate them in an airtight container, ideally in a little of their cooking liquid. They are generally best used within a few days, and cooked beans also freeze well in portions. Fresh unshelled beans can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days, and dried beans keep best in a cool, dry place.

Ways to use cooked cranberry beans

• Toss warm beans with olive oil, herbs and a splash of vinegar for a simple salad.
• Add to minestrone or other vegetable soups.
• Simmer in tomato sauce for a hearty side.
• Mash with garlic and olive oil as a spread (see how to cook garlic on the stove for softening the cloves first).
• Serve alongside Italian sausage cooked in the oven.

If you enjoy trying different beans, our guides to cooking canary beans and cooking green mung beans use a similar simmer-and-test approach. For a different take on beans, see how to sprout beans before cooking.

FAQ

What is the best way to cook beans on the stovetop? Sort and rinse, optionally soak, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil, then simmer gently until creamy inside. Salt as they cook and test often.

Do I have to soak cranberry beans? Not strictly. Fresh beans do not need soaking. Dried beans can be cooked unsoaked but take longer.

How many does a pound serve? Dried beans expand considerably as they cook, so a pound of dried beans yields many servings. Exact amounts vary, so plan on cooking a batch and storing extra.