cooking beans, is it very important to add salt in beans? can i put what i call african maggie or american mag?!

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There has been a myth around for a long time that adding salt or salty products to beans before they're soaked and softened will keep them from softening. After actual experimentation though, it was discovered that it wasn't salt that's a problem, but anything acidic (tomatoes, vinegar, etc) and sweeteners (honey, sugar, molasses, etc). Hard water (water with a lot of minerals in it) and "old" beans can also be the problem when beans don't soften.

I don't know what African maggie or American mag are, but if they do have salt or sodium but don't have any acids or sweeteners, they should be fine for soaking the beans with (or cooking them later).

Salt beans after they are fully cooked