Dried beans take up considerably less cabinet space than their mushy, canned counterparts. They're less expensive too! And if you find yourself in Indian or Middle Eastern markets, you'll discover a variety of beans in varying hues.
Save time by preparing entire 1 pound bags of beans and freezing what you don't use right away.
COOKING DRIED BEANS
RINSE beans under cold water and drain.
SOAK beans about 8 hours or overnight. I place my beans in a 6 quart stock pot and cover with cold water to about 2/3 full. If it's warm, you need to refrigerate the beans in order to avoid fermentation. I always refrigerate to be safe.
ALTERNATE QUICK SOAK METHOD: Instead of soaking that pot of beans for 8 hours, you may heat them over high heat until they come to a full boil. Then, boil for 3 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let them sit for an hour. This method is great for when you forgot to soak the beans overnight, but a slow cooked bean produces the most easily digestible result. Also, when I do this, I often get distracted and end up boiling the water all over the place. I only do this when I have to.
DRAIN AND RINSE soaked beans.
COOK: Place beans in a 6 quart or larger stock pot. I fill with water to about 2/3 full. In order to avoid over boiling, to which I am prone, I heat the beans over medium to medium-low heat (number 4 on my electric stove) with the lid tilted on, and simmer for about an hour or until the beans are at the desired tenderness. Most, however, bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for about an hour until cooked. I have never found that the initial boil significantly speeds up cooking time.
Deviations & Tips
- This method is unnecessary for lentils or split beans. They cook up, without soaking, in about a 1/2 hour.
- Don't add acidic ingredients, such as lemon juice or tomatoes, or salt during the cooking process. Doing so may prevent beans from softening.
- BEAN STOCK! Don't throw out the cooking water! Use this bean broth instead of vegetable stock. Chickpea water is especially wonderful in soups, chilis, and stews.
- A pound of dried beans will yield a little over 2 pounds of cooked beans.
FREEZING BEANS
MUFFIN TIN: A 6-cup jumbo muffin tin works best for this. Distribute a pound of cooked and drained beans among 6 muffin cups. For 2 pounds of cooked beans, you'll need 2 of these muffin tins.
ADD COOKING WATER: Cover beans with cooking water to about 3/4 full.
FREEZE: Put in freezer overnight or until completely frozen.
REMOVE: Flip tin upside down onto cutting board and run hot water over the bottom of the tin. Frozen beans will start to dislodge from the pan. You can lightly twist the pan or press on the bottoms to help the pucks release.
BAG AND FREEZE: If desired, label and date your freezer bag. Toss your frozen pucks in and freeze until needed.
REFERENCES: Choate, Judith. "Introduction." The Rediscovered Bean. N.p.: Fairfax, 1992. 15-19. Print.