Cold February weather means it's time for chili and wintery sorts of beany soup. I hate going to the grocery store and buying so many ingredients in tin cans (and paying the price), so I've been learning to work with dry beans. It's pretty simple really:
- Soak the beans 12-24 hours. Make sure they've got a good amount of water, they'll need lots to absorb.
- Rinse the beans once or twice and change the water. This will help remove the oils from the beans that result in upset stomachs and unpleasant smells.
- After soaking, put the beans in a pot, bring to a boil, then simmer until they are tender (probably an hour or two). Don't add salt because it keeps the beans from softening. If a colored foam collects on the top, skim it off and discard. That's just more of that beany gas stuff.
- When the beans are tender, scoop the extra into zip-lock freezer bags and freeze for later. A couple minutes in the microwave and they're ready to use. I usually soak the entire bag of beans and have lots to freeze for later.
I've observed store-bought beans taste a little different, I think due to them often including salt and even sometimes sugar. I like the idea of saving money, eating less sodium and producing less waste.
Here's a great article about cooking vs. buying canned beans.
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