Posted by Stacy Spensley on Aug.20, 2010

As a vegetarian (and a female) I pay a lot of attention to my protein and iron intake since I can’t just eat a hunk of red meat and call it a day. Blacks beans are an excellent and inexpensive source of protein, iron, and fiber as well as folate and manganese.

While it’s nice to have a can of beans in the pantry, I find them to have a metallic taste and too much salt. In addition, most brands of packaged beans (the notable exception being Eden Foods) have BPA in the lining of their cans. To avoid all of these problems I like to cook a huge pot of dried beans at once then keep some in the refrigerator and some in the freezer. There are many variations on quick-soaking methods, crockpot beans, and pressure cookers. Here is my preferred and simple method using only a bowl, a pot, and the stove.

Take 2 cups of dried beans and place them in a large bowl. Pick out and discard any discolored, misshapen, or broken beans. I don’t usually measure too closely, but beans expand 2-3 times their size when soaked, so you’ll need some room. Add about 6 cups of water, making sure that all the beans are covered. Now leave them alone for 6-8 hours. The two easiest options are to soak the beans before bed and cook them in the morning, or soak them in the morning and cook them after work.

If you don’t have time to cook them immediately you can change the soaking water and leave them soaking for another day in the fridge.

When you’re ready to cook then, drain and rinse your beans until the water runs clear. Black beans in particular end up with some sludgy purple water. Reports vary, but it’s said that soaking and rinsing beans make them easier to digest and helps your body absorb their nutrients.

Combine the beans with 8 cups of water in a large pot. For plain, neutral beans that can be used in any application just cook the beans in water. My preference is to add some aromatics: half an onion, a few small cloves of garlic, and 2 bay leaves. It makes the whole house smell delicious.

Bring the contents of the pot to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, taste a bean and see how it’s doing. Older beans take longer to cook, so that bag you found shoved in the back of the cupboard could take up to two hours. After 45 minutes if the beans are not tender, set the timer for 5-15 more minutes and check again. When the beans seem just slightly undercooked add a teaspoon of salt for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

When finished, discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaves. If the beans are for immediate use, drain and rinse them. Any unused beans can be left to cool in the cooking liquid and then frozen covered with the cooking liquid. When I want to use some beans I just grab a bag from the freezer and run it under warm water until the whole block slides easily out. Then they can be heated on the stove or in a microwave.

Cooking Dried Beans

1. Soak dried beans 6-8 hours (1 part beans, 3 parts water)
2. Rinse and drain beans
3. Bring beans and water (1 part beans, 3 parts water) and spices if using, to a boil in a large pot
4. Reduce heat and simmer, 45 minutes to 2 hours, testing beans occasionally
5. Rinse and drain beans before using, or store covered in cooking liquid in fridge or freezer

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Posted under Cooking Healthy, Food, Nutrition & Recipes.