Even the most skilled cooks burn food from time to time. Though some recipes are a total loss the moment scorching begins, you can potentially save some heartier foods from being ruined. Beans simmer on a stove for a long time, so they have a high potential for getting burned. Here's how to salvage them if this happens.
If beans have been burned, turn down the heat on the stove and remove the pot from the burner.
Pour the beans into another pot. Do not touch the beans stuck to the bottom—you want to separate the beans that haven't been burnt.
Return the new pot to a burner on low heat.
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Taste the beans. If they taste burnt, stir in apple cider vinegar.
Taste them again. If the taste is improving but is still not resolved, add another 1/4 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
Add peanut butter. (It sounds crazy, but some cooks swear by this.) Mix the beans thoroughly.
Taste the beans and decide whether or not they're still good to eat.
Tip
You can add other ingredients after cooking to help mask the taste. For example, if you burned black beans, add some cheese or salsa as a garnish.
Writer Bio
Grace Riley has been a writer and photographer since 2005, with work appearing in magazines and newspapers such as the "Arkansas Democrat-Gazette." She has also worked as a school teacher and in public relations and polling analysis for political campaigns. Riley holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in American studies, political science and history, all from the University of Arkansas.