I don’t know what all the fuss about cooking beans from scratch is about!
Well, it’s not rocket science as long as you follow a few simple tips…
Tips:
1. Be sure to soak your beans overnight in plenty of water.
2. Don’t put anything acidic into the water! Why? It increases the cooking time…Not sure exactly why, but it’s not worth it. What’s acidic? Lemon/lime juice, hot sauce, vinegar
3. Don’t put any salt into the water! Why? Same reason as above – It increases cooking time.
4. Flavor the Water! Just because you can’t put anything acidic or salty in, doesn’t mean you can’t make the water taste great with a bay leaf, pepper, a clove of garlic, 1/2 an onion…
5. Cook until they are soft! This may mean hours and hours, in actuality. However, don’t undercook them…You will regret it later. Be patient and keep adding enough water so that it doesn’t all boil off and burn the beans too!
Why Would You Go To All That Trouble?
1. It is so much cheaper to buy a bag of beans than to buy numerous cans of beans to equal the same amount.
2. Beans in cans can have preservatives that are unhealthy for you…When you make them yourself, you ensure that there are no additives
3. Aluminum cans create waste in the environment that you should recycle, but many people don’t!
4. You can prepare them, place them in flat layers in large Ziplocs and freeze them for future use. They stack well in the freezer and it can be very quick on a night that you need a quick side dish or when you are making chili or soup.
5. There are many times you can buy more “exotic” beans in a bag dry, than the selection you can find in cans.
* Looking for a great vegetarian chili? Check out the Veggie Chili Challenge!
***
I hope you venture to make your own Beans from scratch following the tips here on Cooking With Kimberly! Until next time…
Eat Deliciously,
Kimberly Edwards 
P.S. Check out this amazing Bean Recipe Book I’ve found…It looks fabulous:
Technorati Tags: beans, dry beans, vegetables, vegetarian, vegan, cooking tips
Similar Posts:
- Veggie Chili Challenge
- Vegetarian Chili Made in a Bare Bones Fixer Upper Investment Property Kitchen
- How to Cook Cuban Style Rice with Black Beans
- How to Cook Beans in Your Rice Cooker
- Great Green Bean Casserole
Loading ...