I know many of you Budget Byters already cook your own beans but I wanted to make this post for all of the newbies out there. Beans are one of the most economical and nutritious foods available so I try to use them in recipes as often as possible. Canned beans are quick and convenient but with a little planning ahead, dry beans can be just as easy and HALF the cost of canned.
Many people (including myself) shy away from cooking dry beans because it seems like such a daunting chore with the overnight soaking and hours of cooking. What I’ve discovered is that cooking beans can be as easy as “setting it and forgetting it” and, thanks to Kalyn’s recent post, I now know that presoaking is not even necessary! If you cook a large batch, the beans can be divided up into two cup containers, frozen and then pulled out of the freezer as needed. Taking frozen beans out of the freezer is just as convenient as opening up a can!
Last night, I cooked up a batch of black beans for today’s soup. The final cost for one can equivalent of dry beans was $0.40 cents. Compare that to a store bought can which usually runs me about $0.79 and I’ve cut the cost in half. Plus, I’ve eliminated salt, preservatives and a lot of wasted packaging. Have I convinced you yet?
*NOTE* This method is not advised for kidney beans or beans in the kidney bean family (like white kidney beans or cannellini) because they contain a naturally occurring substance called Phytohaemagglutnin, which can be toxic to humans and cause severe GI distress. The beans must be cooked in a full boil for at least ten minutes to break down this substance, and most slow cookers do not achieve this level of heat.
How to Kick the Can (of beans)
Here is how it’s done:
STEP 1: Pour one pound (or two for an extra large batch) of beans out onto a baking sheet and sort through to remove any stones or debris. Transfer the beans to a colander to rinse off any dust.
STEP 2: Place the cleaned and sorted beans in a slow cooker and add 6 cups of water for every pound of beans. Put the lid on, set the cooker to HIGH and let her go. Beans that have not been presoaked will take 4-6 hours to cook on HIGH.
STEP 3: Once the beans are tender, pour them into a colander and give them a quick rinse. Divide the beans into containers (re-sealable or zip top freezer bags), label, date and freeze until ready to use! Easy as that.
One pound of dry beans will yield about 6 cups of cooked beans, equal to about 3 cans.
The hands-on time to make these beans was only about 15 minutes. Once they were cleaned and sorted, they go straight into the pot and then I didn’t have to do ANYTHING until I checked them four hours later. Then it’s just a quick drain, rinse and pack into containers.
You can cook beans on the stove top if you don’t have a slow cooker although it takes more attention and care. Just place them in a large pot with a lid (same water/bean ratio), bring it up to a boil then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer until tender. Do not let the beans boil heavily or else the delicate skins will disintegrate and you’ll be left with nothing but bean fragments.
If you have any tips, tricks or notable experiences cooking dry beans, share them in the comments section below!
…the black bean soup recipe should be posted later tonight ;)
I looked a little further into the kidney bean issue and it seems that heating them without reaching a boil (which can happen if you cook on low in the slow cooker) can actually increase the amount of the offending chemical. But, as long as it is at boiling temp for at least ten minutes, the chemical is deactivated. So, I think it’s just best to be extra careful with kidneys!
@ Anonymous While what you say is technically true, http://missvickie.com/howto/beans/beantoxins.htm , no one intentionally eats raw, dried beans. Your post reeks of fear mongering.
I’ve been told that beans need to be boiled first to eliminate toxicity, then can be put in the slow cooker for the rest of the cooking. Please do check this as it could make you very sick.
To Anonymous and Beth – Concerning cooking beans with salt, this is how it was described to me. The salt molecules are larger than the water molecules. When the beans are cooking, the larger salt molecules clog the pores of the bean membrane, and the water can’t be absorbed. As soon as it was explained to me this way, I knew I’d always remember NOT to salt the beans during the cooking process. And GREAT blog Beth! Frugal but healthy cooking is the way to go!
We cook one-two slow cooker pots of beans each week. (Latino family!) The great thing about cooking beans is that you can also add a lot of flavor with very few ingredients. For good pinto beans, we typically add one onion halved(remove later), 1 chopped/seeded jalapeño, 1 Tbsp cumin, and a pinch of black pepper. We mash these later as well and they taste and look like refried beans.
For black beans, we use almost the same ingredients, except we add cilantro and lime juice when it’s done cooking and mash as well. Delicious!
Anon – Yes, salt does make beans very tough. You always want to add salt at the END of cooking beans. You can add other seasonings before you begin cooking them (onions, garlic, spices), but never salt. Very hard water can sometimes have the same effect.
I just learned a time-saving tip from my MIL. The night before, bring beans to a boil for 5 min. Turn off heat and leave on stove top over night with lid. The next day you only need to cook them for about 40-60 min. (depending on type of beans). I’ve only used it on pinto beans so far and it works great!
Also, a friend recently told me that adding salt will stop the cooking process and the beans will never get soft. Does anyone know if this is true?
If you want to make them even more tastey add a quarter of an onion, a few garlic cloves and some salt. Pull them out when they are done cooking.
Anon – I’m really not sure… I’ve never heard of or used a thermal cooker. If you try it out, please let us know if it works! :)
Beth, would it work with my thermal cooker? Thermal cookers have to have it boiling for 10 minutes and then set in the thermal for simmering. would 10 minutes be too much? thanks
I have always made my beans in a crockpot. It’s so easy! But I always throw in a quartered onion and 2-3 cloves garlic along with the beans when I start them. It flavors the beans as well as the broth. Then I save the bean broth along with the beans. I use it to ‘re-fry’ beans without using oil, among other uses.
Veronica–yes, you can “can” (meaning bottle) your own beans. I do it a lot and it is SO easy! The only trick is that you need a pressure cooker large enough to fit the jars, with a canning rack in the bottom. I love the slow cooker recipe here–a nice, easy method for cooking and storing beans if you don’t have a pressure cooker.
–Heidi
If you want to remove the “gassy” effects throw a few sprigs of epazote into your beans. Note: This will also slightly change the beans flavor. Most Mexican beans are cooked this way.
I also add some garlic and onion…
Thank you!!
Best thing to add when cooking dried beans is Kombu!
The amino acids soften the beans and make them much more digestible. Voila! No gas and bloating!
I use a 6 inch strip.