CATEGORY

Kidney Beans

2009 CHEFSBEST® AWARD FOR BEST TASTE WINNER

Bush’s

What Makes Great Kidney Beans?

Also called red beans, kidney beans are featured in recipes ranging from Indian cuisine to Louisiana Creole to vegetable soups. Toss them in a salad with corn and onions, mix them into white rice with Tabasco sauce or make steak and kidney pie, an English favorite. Packed with fiber and iron, they’re a good everyday protein for digestive health and energy.

Our chefs define high-quality canned kidney beans as having a deep burgundy color with a glossy sheen. The kidney beans, for the most part, should have good structural integrity; in other words, they should be whole, intact and uniform in size. They should appear as if they came from the same bountiful harvest.

The kidney bean aroma should be noticeable with no inappropriate off notes in the aroma or flavor that indicate poor handling or packaging.

The kidney bean’s taste balance should be led by the natural sweetness of the bean, followed by a low saltiness and even lower bitter intensity. There should be no sourness in the beans. If present, sourness is considered an off note.

The kidney bean flavor should be upfront and noticeable, and the character of the bean should have some complexity that includes buttery, nutty, earthy and grassy notes. 

The beans should have a creamy mouthfeel. The inside texture should be mushy, as opposed to firm, and the skin should be pleasant to chew—not tough or gritty.

Product Category Definition

The product judged was defined as canned ingredient kidney beans for the consumer market, not including pinto, black or garbanzo beans, dried beans, refried beans, baked beans or certified organic products. 

Other Leading Brands:

Goya