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Cooking dried
beans is easy;
learn the basic steps
Almost everbody goofs up the first time they try cooking dried beans.
Did you try to cook beans once but they never got soft? It has happened
to all of us! It is
not
hard to cook beans. There are only a few basic things you need to know.
Bean basics
Before you cook dried beans, you need to sort through them carefully.
We use a baking sheet. Spread one
handful of beans out on the sheet and look closely for for rocks, dirt,
and discolored beans. Remove inedible stuff.
Transfer the sorted
beans to a strainer. Repeat, sorting one handful of beans at a
time, until
you have
the quantity you need. (We set the strainer on a scale.) Rinse the
beans.
Because beans are dry, they need to cook in lots of water
to rehydrate properly. The water level in your pot should be
2" above the beans. This is about 3 - 4 cups of water per cup
of dry beans. Once the beans are clean and covered with water, you have
three
different options for cooking dried beans:
- Soak the beans for 8 hours. Drain and add fresh
water. Then cook on top of the
stove, in the oven (covered), in a
crockpot, or in a pressure cooker.
- Boil the beans for 2 minutes, remove from heat,
cover and let sit
for an
hour. This is called a
quick soak. Drain and add fresh
water. Then cook on top of the
stove, in the oven (covered), in a
crockpot, or in a pressure cooker.
- Don't soak the beans at all. We often cook
unsoaked beans
in a crockpot on high temperature. They get done in 4 to 7 hours,
depending on the
type of
bean. You can cook unsoaked beans in a pressure cooker in less than
an hour. However, rapid high pressure cooking may break the
skins
and make the beans less attractive.
When beans are done, they should be soft enough that you can mash them
against the roof of your mouth with your tongue. "Firm" beans are not
finished cooking. They are hard to digest and they don't have a good
flavor.
It is easiest to cook beans in plain water,
without any seasonings or other ingredients. While they are cooking,
you can chop and water-saute whatever vegetables and seasonings you
want to add.
When the beans are soft, drain off some or all of the cooking liquid.
Add the cooked beans to your vegetable and seasoning mix.
Simmer to blend flavors.
Problems cooking dried beans
If you add salt or any acidic foods to beans as they cook, they will
take a very long time to become soft. In fact,
they may never
become soft no matter how long you cook them. Some typical acidic
ingredients that you should be aware of are tomatoes, vinegar, lemon
or lime juice, and
molasses. Always add these after the beans are tender.
As beans get older they take longer to cook. You can never assume that
beans are done just because you cook them for the usual time. Always
test them with the "squish on roof of mouth" method.
If
you want to cook beans in a pressure cooker, do not fill the cooker
more than half full. At the end of the cooking time, don't release the
pressure rapidly. Let it come down naturally so the
skins of
the beans stay intact.
Fast cooking beans
Some small beans cook fast enough that you can just cook them on the
stove top without any soaking. These include lentils, split peas, and
mung beans. If you are just learning how to cook beans, you might want
to start with lentils:
- Red
lentils cook in 20 - 30 minutes without any
soaking. They dissolve
into a "gravy" when cooked, so you can use them in soup or even as a
sauce. Don't plan on using them in a salad because they won't hold
their shape.
- Brown
lentils take about 45 minutes to cook, and they also make
delicious soups. You can use them in salads if you are careful not to
overcook them.
- French
green lentils take a little longer to cook than the
others, but
they hold their shape well for salads.
Exotic beans
Be
adventurous! Try some beans you have never eaten before. Natural food
stores often have a large assortment of dried beans in bulk bins.
We
live in the desert southwest, and our local Mexican grocer has all
kinds of colorful beans we would never find in the supermarket.
Cooking
dried beans is easy and rewarding. Canned beans never taste quite as
good as home-cooked beans. Once you start cooking your own you will
never go back.
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