Lately I have been losing my taste for canned beans.  Although I am definitely not above using them, especially when it comes to making a fast bowl of hummus with chickpeas, I am really appreciating the earthier, more solid flavor from the dried beans.  The cost too, is far lower with dried versus canned, especially if you buy bulk. Apart from thinking ahead enough to soak your bean of choice 12-24 hours (I just set my beans out on the counter overnight in a bowl of hot water), there really isn’t much to cooking up your own. The soaking isn’t absolutely necessary  but improves the health benefits and digestibility.  I’ve found most beans take about 90 minutes at a simmer  to cook to al dente tenderness. The best part is that making two, or three batches is just as easy as making one.  I just freeze cooled beans in quart bags and then they are ready to toss into a colorful salad or black bean chili!

15 Jul This entry was published on July 15, 2011 at 2:40 am and is filed under The Basics. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.