Beans are foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber, and are a fundamental part of any well-balanced diet. They are low in fat, full of healthy nutrients and low in carbohydrates; moreover they are easy to cook and very versatile, in fact they can be eaten both as a side dish and as a main course. Since canned beans don't taste great and often have a mash-like texture, buying dried beans and learning how to cook them properly can be a great idea as well as a challenge. The effort will certainly be greater than that required to open a metal box, but you will find that it will be worth it.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Choosing and Cleaning the Beans
Step 1. Go through the beans, throw away any that look discolored or wilted, and remove any debris and leaf residue
Weigh the amount of beans you want to use before washing them. Be especially wary of pebbles or gravel that may have accidentally ended up in the package.
Step 2. Place the dried beans in the colander and wash them quickly
Leave them under cold running water for 30 seconds.
Part 2 of 4: Soak the Beans
Step 1. If you have all night, use a slow method to rehydrate the beans
This technique is preferable, because it allows a better final result and a perfect cooking, without any beans that are too hard or soft.
If you opt for the slow method, put the beans in a large pot and cover them with about 2 liters of water. Cover and let them soak overnight in the refrigerator
Step 2. If you don't have time, try the quick technique
Put the beans in a pot and bring them to a boil for about 2-3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, put the lid on, and let the beans soak for about an hour.
Step 3. Wait for them to double or triple in size, depending on the technique you used to rehydrate them
If you used the slow one, the beans will be twice the size. Make sure you use pots that can hold them even when they increase in volume.
Step 4. Rinse the beans thoroughly with a colander
At this point they are ready to be cooked.
Part 3 of 4: Cooking
Step 1. Pour the beans into a large pot and cover them with water
Step 2. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to prevent too much foam from cooking
As the beans will still increase in size, you will need to add boiling water from time to time to allow them to cook evenly.
Step 3. Let them simmer over medium heat
If they have been well rehydrated they will be ready in 30 minutes, or 2 hours, depending on the quality.
Step 4. Here are the various cooking times that the different types of beans require:
- Black beans: 60 minutes.
- Red beans: 90 to 120 minutes
- Cannellini beans: 90 to 120 minutes.
- Large Spanish beans: 45 to 60 minutes.
- Borlotti: from 90 to 120 minutes.
Step 5. Check for doneness by mashing a bean with a fork or fingers
It should be tender but not mushy. If it's still crunchy, keep cooking it, checking every 10 minutes.
Step 6. Bring the beans to the table
Store leftovers in the fridge.
Part 4 of 4: Using Beans in Other Recipes
Step 1. Learn how to cook various types of beans
What fantastic legumes! Beans are healthy, inexpensive, and easy to cook. Where can you go wrong? Read on to learn how to cook bean varieties.
- Borlotti beans.
- Lima beans.
- Black beans.
- The cannellini beans.
Step 2. Make vegetarian chili with black and red beans
Who said chili has to contain meat? You can make an equally delicious and substantial version of it with red and black beans; it's perfect on colder days to warm up the cowboy in you.
Step 3. Cook red bean rice.
You will definitely love this Caribbean dish, especially if you pair it with seafood. Incredibly simple but really substantial!
Step 4. Make red bean hummus
Are you tired of the usual chickpea hummus? Do you want something different? If you like this dish and have an adventurous soul, you must try the variant with beans.
Step 5. Try Indian beans
They are also called mung beans and are widespread in India and Southeast Asia. They are used both in sweets and in savory meals.
Advice
- After doing a little practice, learn to know and also cook different types of beans, choose from the many varieties, tastes and textures, each type offers different benefits to your health.
- Prepare the beans well in advance, so you can use the first method to rehydrate them. Beans left to soak for the necessary time are tastier and easier to cook, because they are less prone to breaking.
- Using dried beans instead of canned ones has the benefit of not adding high amounts of sodium to our body. In fact, canned beans are usually very salty.
- Remember that the quick dipping method saves you time, but beans are likely to break and flake much easier during cooking.
- If you want to store large quantities of beans, consider buying a vacuum machine; in this way the food will be kept fresh.
- Lentils, black-eyed peas, and peas do not need to be rehydrated before they are cooked.
- Store the beans in a dark, dry place; they will last up to two years. Like all foods, they can't be kept forever, but you can extend their life with the right precautions. Light and oxygen are mainly responsible for their deterioration: light discolours them and oxygen makes their oils rancid.
- In theory, you should store beans in specific polyethylene terephthalate bags for long periods. Preserves in glass jars are acceptable, but they expose the beans to light; if you decide for this method anyway, be sure to store the jars in the dark.
Warnings
- When cooking dry beans, do not add acidic ingredients, such as tomato or vinegar, until they are cooked, otherwise they become too soft.
- Do not try to cook dried beans without first soaking them in water, they will flake and have little flavor.
