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 love your blog and everything I’ve tried has been so good! Question on the beans… Should you soak black beans before cooking in the crockpot to neutralize the gas, or is that more necessary for kidney/red beans?
Jem – I usually just empty the container into a colander and then run cool water over them until they thaw. It only takes a few minutes. Or, if your beans didn’t stay whole while they cooked (if they broke apart or got mushy), you can just reheat them in a small sauce pan over low heat. You may need to add a bit of water to keep them from drying up.
Friend told me to add a little baking soda, no gassy effect, completely neutralizes…..
Great website & article, I can’t wait to try this. What advice do you have for thawing the beans, preferably without the microwave! Has anyone tried cooking beans in their rice cooker?
Just found this blog about soaking beans. Can’t wait to try your black bean salad recipe with the ham & pineapple quesadillas, but I’m definitely soaking the beans first.
http://missvickie.com/howto/beans/howtosoak.html
I love cooking my own beans. Once you get into the habit, it’s not a big deal. Watch the cooking and soaking times on different types of beans. I didn’t realize they varied so much. I cooked black-eyed peas recently – soaking over night then cooking for an hour or so like I do with all the others I’ve tried so far. Way too long! Turns out they don’t need that long – short soak and cook for 30 mins!
Maggie – You can do other types of beans. I’ve only tried a few so far (garbanzo’s are on my list to try!). The only one you want to stay away from is kidney beans, because they really need to be boiled to reduce a natural toxin that they carry.
Do you know if I can do this same process with any kind of beans? I just bought a bag of dry garbanzo beans.
I cook alot of dried pinto beans. I soak them overnight and pour out the water they soaked in. Put them in a crock pot with fresh water and oil or salt pork. The juice is lighter in color and they taste wonderful. Season after they finish cooking.
If you put the cleaned beans in a pot, bring it to a boil, cover, remove from heat and let sit for an hour, then drain off the water before cooking futher, you will not have any gas at all.
Although you can add many things before they cook, tomatoes will make it so they do not soften, too.
I love the crock pot bean method! I use it all the time. Black beans, navy beans, red beans, garbanzo beans, they all come out great. I cook mine on high for 3:30 to 4 hours and then check them, sometimes going for longer can make them split and get a little mushy. Just my experience in a newer crock pot.
Now to find some recipes to use all these dry beans I have! :) TY FOR THIS!
I’m so glad I’ve been led to your blog! This is a great idea. I’ve recently learned the fact that just about all cans out there are lined with BPA, so I’m trying to avoid them wherever I can. I never really knew how to use dried beans (other than putting them in a tube to make a shaker!) Thanks a bunch!
Grace – I can’t say for sure about the bug larvae. I do rinse the beans well before cooking and I don’t even bother soaking them first. The heat will be enough to kill anything there, although if just the *idea* of larvae gets to you, go ahead and do the soak/new water routine :) I haven’t had any issues yet.
In Kayln’s article that you linked in your blog, it says to make sure and throw out the water used to soak the beans because of bug larvae and other yucky stuff on the outside of the bean. Is this true? If so, when cooked in the slow cooker, the beans remain in all of that dirty water.