Beans! High in fiber, low in fat. Canned beans are one thing but dried beans seem quite another. They are easy to store and good protein to include in a home food storage but then what? What can I do with them? How do I cook with them? Dried beans are cheaper to buy than their canned counterpart making them affordable for me to pick up a bag here and there occasionally which I did to ensure I was following prophetic council. Plus they keep longer, good for long term food storage which I viewed as a "just in case" type of thing. Keeping longer gave me comfort because I didn't have to fix them NOW and I figured if there was nothing else to eat, I guessed I could stomach eating some beans... if I had to in order to stay alive. I could never live with myself if I had to look my children in the eye and tell them I had nothing for them to eat when I could have... and should have done something about it. But one day I looked at my food storage and realized I had so many barrels of beans I was scared. I was scared of beans!!! How can I rotate through a food storage that I am scared of and have no idea how to use? How could I justify purchasing more of something I had no intention of eating soon when our grocery budget was tighter than ever and still tightening more? Eating beans wasn't anything new... it was the fact that these beans were dry beans. My mom had used dry beans in her meals which I may or may not have liked but I had started at ground zero in the cooking department and was learning my way through the kitchen. My time had come to conquer the DRY BEANS! Now I use them not just in soup recipes but I use them in many mexican recipes replacing the beef with them simply for the economy and health of them. I even make bean burgers that give the old frozen vegi-burger in the freezer case of the local grocery a run for its money. I've come a long way from ground zero.
I have heard many rumors about beans through the years and wondered about them. In spite of having delved in to use beans in our meals for several years figuring out certain tricks along the way I still had some of the same questions. How could I help answer other people's questions they were asking me about cooking with beans such as how can you prevent them from giving you gastrointestinal distress? If I salt them won't they be tough? But if I don't salt them will they have any flavor? What about the time involved in cooking with beans? These are some valid questions with some good news answers. I recently read an article in the December/January 2014 issue of Cooks Country that cleared up any questions I still had about beans. Putting this new information to the test combined with years of personal experience I am confident in coming up with a creamy, flavorful bean every time now.
Time vs. Money or the old adage "time IS money, money is time".
So quickly you should know that while beans are a cheap source of protein, dried beans are ridiculously cheap by comparison. That said, the location you purchase from and the packaging size can further influence the price you pay for those beans. And it doesn't hurt to keep a few CANS of beans on the shelf, either, for those days when even the best laid plans fall short. The price of a couple cans of beans on my shelf to provide a quick meal for 7 is NOTHING compared to the $35 + price tag on an unplanned trip through the McDonald's drive through.
Time, of course, is a resource just like money. The good news with using dried beans is that it doesn't have to take a lot of time. I am referring to "hands on" time. You DO need to plan ahead to use beans but the time it takes to prepare the beans is mostly hands off plus the only equipment needed is a basic Dutch Oven (fancy name for pot with lid). And I'm all for any simplicity I can get in my little kitchen.
Here are some simple Core Techniques in utilizing dried beans in your diet.
1.) SOAK or BRINE BEANS: While soaking beans overnight may be standard procedure that everyone knows about there is a LOT of confusion about brining them. Adding salt to your soaking beans not only seasons the beans but actually softens their skins as the sodium ions in the salt replace calcium and magnesium ions as the beans sit in the salty solution. Sodium ions weaken pectin which is the glue that holds the cells together and gives the cell walls of the bean strength. With the break down of the cell wall more water can then penetrate the bean making for a softer bean. Note that lentils do not need soaking.
Bottom line; Soak beans for 8-24 hours in brine solution of 3 Tbsp. salt and 4 quarts of water for every pound of most beans in most recipes. Use immediately. *** Unused brined beans may be rinsed and kept refrigerated for up to four days or may be frozen for several weeks. Think of this as "fast food" for upcoming meals. FAQ: What if I don't have time to soak the beans overnight? If you don't have any left over brined beans in the fridge or freezer then use a quick soak by bringing the beans, salt and water to a boil. Then turn off the heat and cover with lid letting them sit for one hour. Drain and rinse your beans after the one hour mark and proceed with your recipe. Still not fast enough? Simmer beans in 3 quarts of water with one Tbsp. baking soda for 20 minutes before draining, rinsing and proceeding with recipe. Remember though, an overnight brine will always produce the creamiest beans.
2.) SORT/RINSE BEANS: Bags of dried beans sometimes contain small stones and other debris called ditritus so pick through your beans as you rinse them in a colander with cold water. Really get in there with your hand and mix them around as you run them under the water. If you are really being overly thoughtful (or nervous) you can even spread the beans out on a towel or white plate to make sure that anything that should not be in the beans is spotted and discarded. I usually find that what doesn't belong is obvious.
Bottom line; Rinse those beans keeping eyes open for detritus. Eliminate the jokes and intestinal discomfort. Rinsing beans after soaking and cooking helps remove some of the broken down chains of carbohydrates which can otherwise cause gas and other digestive troubles.
3.) BEWARE of ACID: Contrary to popular myth, salting beans has NOTHING to do with tough beans but acidity does affect the bean. If the cooking liquid the beans are in is too acidic then beans will not soften no matter how many hours they spend bubbling on the stove top. A low pH (higher acid) actually has the opposite effect of brining and will strengthen the pectin in beans, making them tougher; a very low pH actually prevents them from cooking. It took a LOT of acid to cause a problem during testing. A primary acidic food we tend to cook with beans is... TOMATOES! In my own kitchen I have produced very creamy beans when brined with salt and rather tough ones when I added tomatoes too early to my non-brined beans that were boiling. Be safe! Add tomatoes to your recipe only when beans are nearly tender. If beans remain unsoftened despite all these measures then your beans were just too old (more than 10 years) or your water is too hard.
Store beans in a cool, dry place. I like to keep my dried beans as long term storage in plastic buckets with gamma seal lids that can be purchased at places like Home Depot but can be purchased in bulk (least expensively per lid) online. When I run low on beans upstairs in my kitchen I simply refill my canning jar from the buckets and they look somewhat chic sitting on my exposed shelves in the kitchen. Canning jars, also frequently called Mason jars, are the most economical way to store goods in glass. Highly functional, yet very attractive to display, they will keep moisture, bugs, and rodents from ruining your goods. LOVE canning jars!
My favorite beans to store are Great Northern, Black, Kidney and Pinto Beans. Pinto Beans can be purchased in bulk at Sam's Club.
There are hundreds of ways to take advantage of using dried beans in your diet. Now you are prepared for success the next time your recipe calls for beans.
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