Basic Dried Beans Recipes

BETTER BASIC BEANS

Steps:

• Cover beans with 2 inches water; soak overnight in the refrigerator. Drain and transfer to a large pot or Dutch oven; cover again with 2 inches water.
• Add onion, garlic, bay leaf, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer; skim and discard foam. Cook, adding more hot water as needed to keep beans fully submerged, until tender and cooked through, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on type and freshness.
• Season to taste toward end of cooking. Remove and discard aromatics. Let beans cool in cooking liquid, then refrigerate in cooking liquid in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.

BASIC DRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Note: Lentils, split peas and black-eyed peas do not need to be soaked.
• Pick through the beans, discarding any discolored or shriveled beans or any foreign matter.
• Rinse well.
• Traditional Slow Soak: In a 5-quart saucepan, cover 1 pound dried beans with 10 cups water.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight.
• Drain and rinse the beans.
• Hot Soak: In a 5-quart saucepan, bring 10 cups water to a boil.
• Add 1 pound dried beans and return to a boil.
• Remove from the heat; cover tightly and set aside at room temperature 2-3 hours.
• Drain and rinse the beans.
• Quick Soak: In a 5-quart saucepan, bring 10 cups water to a boil.
• Add 1 pound dried beans and return to a boil; let boil 2-3 minutes.
• Cover tightly and set aside at room temperature 1 hour.
• Drain and rinse the beans.
• Gas-Free Soak: (The best method for gas-free beans, developed by the California Dry Bean Advisory Board.) In a 5-quart sauce- pan, place 1 pound of beans in 10 or more cups of boiling water; boil for 2-3 minutes, cover and set aside overnight.
• By morning, 75 to 90 percent of the indigestible sugars will have dissolved into the soaking water.
• Drain, then rinse the beans thoroughly before cooking them.
• COOKING BEANS: When cooking beans, do not add salt or acidic ingredients, like vinegar, tomatoes or juice- which slow the cooking substantially; add these ingredients when the beans are just tender.
• Cooking times vary with the types of beans used but also may vary with their age.
• Beans are done when they can be easily mashed between two fingers or with a fork.
• Always test a few beans in case they have not cooked evenly.
• Return the soaked, rinsed beans to the 5-quart saucepan.
• Cover the beans with 3 times their volume of water.
• Add herbs or spices (not salt), as desired.
• Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender (the time will depend on the type of bean, but start checking after 45-60 minutes).
• Do not boil them since this will break the skins.
• Check the level of the water and add more if it gets low.
• When the beans are tender, drain and use in recipes; or for later use, immerse them in cold water until cool, then drain well and freeze in 1- to 2-cup packages.
• One pound of dried beans will yield about 5 or 6 cups cooked beans.
• PRESSURE COOKING: This is one of the quickest ways to cook beans.
• After you've soaked 1/2 pound of beans, place them in a 4-quart pressure cooker with 4 cups water.
• Cook at 15 pounds pressure following the manufacturer's directions for the type of legume you are cooking.

BASIC BEANS FROM DRIED - CROCKPOT

Steps:

• Soak the beans in enough water to cover, plus an inch or two for 8 hours or overnight.
• Drain the beans and place them in a 5 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker/crock pot. Add the onion, garlic, and bay leaves, if using, and enough water to cover, 6 to 8 cups. Cover and cook on high for 8 to 12 hours, or longer, depending on the type of bean.