How to Cook Dried Beans
https://ift.tt/2DKDJSi Home-cooked dried beans are an easy way to stretch a dollar, boost the nutritional value of dinner, and round out a meal. Canned beans also have a place in my home, but the flavor, texture, and versatility of dried beans can’t be beaten. The key to cooking a delicious batch of from-scratch beans on the stovetop depends on two things: the age of your beans and knowing when to salt them. The rest is up to you. WHICH DRIED BEANS TO COOKI use this simple stovetop method for small, medium, or large beans such as the following:
Note: This method will not work for lentils or split peas, which are not really beans per se but still in the legume family. Lentils cook much quicker than the aforementioned beans and don’t require pre-cooking. HOW OLD ARE YOUR BEANS?If you’ve ever spent hours on end cooking beans and they are still too firm to enjoy, the culprit probably isn’t the recipe or your cooking technique, but rather the bean itself. If you happen to get to the point where you’ve cooked these beans and come to this unfortunate end, unfortunately, your best bet is to pitch them. For the most part, dry beans are best used within two years of harvest. Knowing a harvest date isn’t always the easiest, but most dry beans at the supermarket have a best buy date printed on the bag. Check it before you buy or, barring that, if you’ve got a random bag lying around in the pantry, before you cook it. If the beans are past their prime, save them for pie weights and replace them with something fresher. To ensure freshness when shopping for beans at the supermarket look for the best buy date on the bag and have a general idea of when want to cook them. Alternatively, look for local producers at your farmers market and ask them about harvest dates. The best part about beans that they are a relatively low maintenance and low cost nutritional powerhouse. You don’t need to overthink them. SHOULD YOU SOAK YOUR BEANS?The Internet debate on soaking will go on until the end of time. Overnight soak, quick soak, or no soak at all—these are all hotly contended! The biggest benefit to soaking beans the night before you want to use them is that it will reduce your cooking time. Look at your schedule for the day and the time you have on your hands, and make the best choice for you. If that is a priority for you, then by all means soak away. I tested both Great Northern Beans and garbanzo beans (chickpeas). I found that the unsoaked beans took only 30 minutes longer than the soaked beans to reach peak tenderness, and I didn’t notice a discernible difference in texture when it came to the finished bean. Like many things when it comes to home cooking, your desire to soak or not soak is a personal choice. You will not destroy your beans, your dinner, or your gastrointestinal system by choosing one method over the other. Ready to soak (or not)?! See below for the scoop on each method. OPTION 1: SOAK YOUR BEANS OVERNIGHTThis method is for you because:
What to do: Put the beans in a bowl. Cover with water. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Leave overnight on the countertop. Drain, rinse, cook, and eat. OPTION 2: QUICK-SOAKING YOUR BEANSThis method is for you because:
What to do: Put beans in a pot. Cover with water. Bring them to a boil. Cover. Remove from heat and let rest in the warm water for an hour depending upon the bean. Proceed with recipe. OPTION 3: DON’T SOAK YOUR BEANSThis method is for you because:
What to do: Put beans in a pot. Cover with water. Cook. Eat. HOW LONG TO COOK DRIED BEANSSince cooking time depends on the age of your beans and whether your soaked them, there’s just no way of providing specific cook times when it comes to beans, but in general:
Want really fast beans? Make them in the pressure cooker! How to Make Fast, No-Soak Beans in the Pressure Cooker WHEN TO SALT YOUR BEANSThis debate about salt is as endless and contested as the soaking debate. In my tests, salting the beans at the beginning of the cook time resulted in a firm-textured bean that took longer to cook. However, salting the beans in the middle of the cooking process gave the beans enough time to season properly and resulted in a creamy texture. The latter is definitely better. In short, season the beans with salt when they are tender enough to taste (meaning you can bite through them), but not completely cooked through (still a little toothsome). This may be anywhere from half to three quarters of the way through the cooking process. A NOTE ON ADDING SUGAR TO BEANSIf you want to make sweet beans, such as Boston Baked Beans, prepare yourself for the long haul. Sugar, like salt, makes it difficult for the beans to soften. They will eventually cook, but it can take five hours or better. HOW TO MAKE A POT OF BEANSHere’s the run-down of how to make a basic pot of beans, bringing together everything we’ve talked about so far:
A few extra notes:
WAYS TO FLAVOR A POT OF BEANSFrom the start of cooking:
After the beans have been cooked and drained:
HOW LONG DO COOKED BEANS KEEP?Once cooked, beans will keep in the fridge for up to four days and can be frozen for months. Whether you store the beans in their cooking liquid or drain them first is depends on how you intend to use them. If I know I’m probably going to use the beans as a side dish on their own or in a soup, then I want the creamy liquid full of starchy goodness. If I will probably use them in a salad or possibly a mashed filling in my child’s black bean quesadillas, then I will likely drain them. HOW TO FREEZE COOKED BEANSIf you’re looking for a great way to maximize space and get ahead of the cooking game, check out Emma’s post on How to Freeze Beans and Broth. Save your Cooking Liquid!If you don’t store the bean in their liquid save it anyway. Depending upon how you season the beans the cooking liquid can be frozen and added to soups or chilis to add body. You can also reduce the liquid until it becomes Aquafaba (bean water). It’s ready when the consistency of the cooking liquid is similar to egg whites. Then use it as an egg replacer in any number of recipes. Vegans have been doing it for years. GREAT RECIPES TO USE A POT OF BEANSRecipes via Simply Recipes https://ift.tt/2F9fkDA November 26, 2018 at 09:05AM
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The Flat Belly FixThis is the only 21-day rapid weight loss system that allows you to easily lose an average of 1 lb a day for 21 days without feeling hungry or deprived. The unique and brand new techniques used in this System are proven SAFE. And they do not cause the rebound weight gain common to all the other rapid weight loss systems that are not backed by the latest science. The Flat Belly Fix System takes advantage of a recent scientific discovery that proves the effective weight loss power of an ancient spice. Combined with other cutting-edge ingredients in the patent-pending Flat Belly Fix Tea™ — that you can make right in your own kitchen in minutes — this System is the quickest, easiest and most enjoyable way to quickly get the body you desire and deserve. Click HereCategories
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