This is the first method I learned and it’s probably the method most people are familiar with. I find it interesting that cooking dry beans was used even in Bible times; so it’s nothing new, it has just decreased in popularity in America’s convenience-laden culture. With the ease of ready canned beans, a lot of Americans don’t even know how simple it can be to use dry beans. The average American consumes only about 6.5 pounds of dry beans yearly – amounting to only a fourth of the dietary guidelines (3 cups per week)!
Nutrient-dense beans are important to our diets. They’re low in fat, high in fiber, and packed
with protein. They provide a rich source of vitamins and minerals. All of beans’ good properties help to reduce
risk for chronic diseases such as obesity, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
Basically, what you need to know:
·
1 pound of dry
beans makes about 5 cups of cooked beans.
·
Soaking the
beans allows the beans to cook quicker and more evenly and become completely
tender throughout.
·
Don’t add salt
until the end of cooking, when they are just barely tender (al dente). Adding
salt at the beginning of cooking can sometimes prevent the starches in the
beans from breaking down, so they’ll be over firm even after cooking.
·
The soaking
water should be at room temperature. Hot water may cause the beans to sour. Cold water slows rehydration and
the beans will take longer to cook.
·
It’s
easy to cook beans on the stove; you just need to have 3 or 4 hours at
home. After soaking, beans need to
simmer anywhere from 1 hour to 4 hours.
·
Don’t
try to rush things by increasing the temperature of the stove. Simmering the
beans instead of boiling helps them cook evenly until tender, keeps their shape
and keep their skins intact.
·
Some
beans can go from extremely crunchy to creamy in about 15 minutes.
·
Beans
will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week and frozen up to 3 months.
·
If
you are cooking beans for soups – slightly undercook them, they will continue
to cook in the soup.
·
Don’t
throw out the cooking liquid. Unlike the
liquid from purchased canned beans this liquid is full of flavor and
nutrition. It makes a great base for
soups and sauces.
·
Cooking
with the lid on or off? Uncovered they
end up firmer and more intact. Perfect for salads. Beans cooked with the lid on but slightly
ajar will end up creamier and more delicate.
They are great for soups, bean spreads and burritos.
Stove-top Directions
Ingredients:
1
pound dry beans, any type
Water
2-3
teaspoons salt to taste
Optional:
bay leaf, 1-2 garlic cloves, ½ or more chopped onion, Carrots, Celery
Equipment:
Medium
mixing bowl
4
quart heavy cooking pot with lid or Dutch oven
Stove
Stirring
spoon
Directions:
- Clean the dry beans, looking for any stones or broken beans.
- Soak the beans in 3 times the amount of water; overnight or at least 8 hours. Never more than 12 hours (they’ll start to ferment and turn sour).
- After soaking, drain and rinse under a gentle stream of water.
- Transfer beans to a cooking pot, add spices (except salt).
- Cover with 1 inch of water and bring to a full boil.
- Quickly turn down to a simmer and cook very gently. Leave the lid off for firm beans (salads, pasta dishes); cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar for creamier beans (soups, casseroles, burritos).
- Cook the beans for 1 hour. Start checking for doneness. Depending on the age, and size of the beans they can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours to cook, sometimes longer. Be patient. Add more water as needed to keep the beans submerged.
- Add the salt when the beans are just barely tender, but too firm to eat. Continue to simmer until the beans reach the doneness you prefer.
- Cool the beans in their cooking liquid. Put in containers and refrigerate with the cooking liquid. Or separate into individual containers and freeze for future use.
- Enjoy your simple, economical, and extremely healthy beans!
No comments:
Post a Comment