Small, dark red beans that have a slightly sweet taste. They are available precooked in cans or dried, which require soaking to rehydrate. These are popular beans to use in Mexican dishes, such as refried beans. To rehydrate dried beans, first sort by spreading beans out on a tray or large platter and pick out any beans that are misshapen or discolored and discard. Also remove any other impurities you may find. Transfer sorted beans to a colander and rinse under cold running water. To rehydrate, place beans in a bowl with enough fresh cold water to cover all the beans. Soak for 3 to 8 hours at room temperature and then drain before using. For a quicker rehydrating method, place beans in a saucepan covered with water, bring to a boil and then remove from the heat. Let the boiled beans soak for 1½ hours and drain before using. Also referred to as small red beans.
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