?about using dry beans instead of canned

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2003
?about using dry beans instead of canned
4
Wed, 07-14-2004 - 3:24pm

How would I adapt the black bean recipe to use dry beans?  I got some one sale for 11¢ a bag and went a little overboard.  I don't know anything about using dry beans.  Do I have to soak them (how long?) and cook them first?


When you cook with them, do they expand?  Do they freeze well after being cooked?


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-30-2003
Wed, 07-14-2004 - 3:52pm
I've never used dried black beans, but I have cooked lots of other types of dried beans, and I'm assuming they're all the same. Anyway, yes you need to soak them overnight, and they do expand. Put them in a big pot and cover them with water overnight, in the morning change the water and boil until tender. They do freeze well too. Hope this helps!

Shelley

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 07-14-2004 - 4:13pm
Beans expand a ton when you cook them. Think rice.

To cook them, just follow the instructions on the bag. I think that cooking beans is a pain because it takes so long. So if I were going to do it, I'd do the whole bag and freeze it in portions in Ziploc freezer bags. I like to freeze mine in 1 to 2 cup quantities, or approximately the same amount that is in a can. Since most recipes call for cans of beans, it just makes it easier this way.

I did this with a ton of kidney beans, and it worked great. Mine were a little overcooked (very soft), so I didn't use them in things like chili or they would have just disintegrated completely. But they were awesome added to ground beef for sloppy joes (or taco filling) and I also made a really good refried bean recipe with them.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2004
Wed, 07-14-2004 - 5:06pm
Hello

Key in "soaking beans" in find messages about. There is a thread from Cathy that explains how to soak and cook dry beans.

Good Luck!

Karen

170/149/150

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2004
Wed, 07-14-2004 - 5:40pm

Here you go:


Washing Beans and Legumes


Before using beans and legumes, rinse them thoroughly under cool water, then sort through them for any stones or other debris. If using lentils, mung beans, or split peas, skip the soaking section and go right to the cooking instructions. If using anything other kind of beans, continue to the next step: soaking.


Soaking Beans and Legumes


All dry beans and legumes except lentils, mung beans, and split peas should be soaked before cooking. Soaking shortens the cooking time and makes the beans more digestible. To soak, cover the washed beans with four times their volume of water, then choose one of these soaking techniques.



  1. Normal soak: Leave the beans to soak for 4-8 hours. This is the traditional and healthier method of soaking beans.
  2. Quick soak: Bring the beans to a boil for one minute, cover, and let sit for one hour.

The beans are soaked once they are uniformly soft.


After soaking, you have the choice of 1. draining the soaking water, rinsing the beans, and cooking with fresh water, or 2. cooking with the soaking water. The former reduces flatulence, while the latter provides more nutrients.


Cooking Beans and Legumes


Whether reusing soaking water or adding fresh, there should be twice as much water as beans. Boil furiously, uncovered, for ten minutes. Cover, lower heat, and simmer for 1-2 hours, until tender.


Tips



  • 1 c dry beans yields 2½-3 c cooked.
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