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Cooking
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Dried legumes are always cooked before eating. It is best to use them within one year of their harvest. If they are of different ages, they should be cooked separately to prevent over- or undercooking, since older beans will take longer to cook.
Before cooking, pick out any beans or peas that have floated to the top during soaking; they are old and will not cook properly. Drain the beans or peas from their soaking liquid.
Prepare a mazzetto guarnito (see “Making a Mazzetto Guarnito”) with aromatic vegetables cut into 3- to 5-centimeter (13/16- to 2-inch) chunks and tied in cheesecloth for ease of removal. (The choice of aromatics is personal to the chef but carrot, celery, onion, fresh rosemary, sage, and black peppercorns are common.) Prosciutto skin, ends, or bones may be added for additional flavor, as well as the rinds from Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.