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Beans, Beans, Beans!!!

About BeansBeans are a very high quality, nutritious, budget friendly food for your family. They are a goodsource of soluble fiber, the kind that helps lower cholesterol. Beans in general, are goodsources of things like, folate, potassium, iron, manganese, copper and zinc. Beans are anexcellent addition to any diet. They are high in protein and low in fat. A half cup servingcounts as a 1 oz serving of protein, and added with rice, corn, or other grain makes a completeprotein. Beans are a much easier protein to digest.One of the main drawbacks that people complain about is that beans cause gas. If you are notuse to beans in your diet, your body has more trouble digesting them. So the good news is thatthe more you eat beans, the easier it will be for your body to digest them and you will find thatgas problems will greatly diminish. Basically you need to have them as part of your regulardiet in order to build up natural good intestinal flora that enables you to digest them. Addingginger or sprouting beans before cooking may also help.Cooking BeansFirst sort them, to make sure that all rocks are removed. If you want nice looking beans forsoup or salad, remove broken beans as well.If you are new to cooking beans or have had less than satisfactory results in cooking beansthen here are a few tips to help.Method 1: Overnight SoakingSoak beans in a covered pot with water overnight. Next day, bring beans to a boil. Simmercovered until beans are cooked through. Cooking time will vary with the variety of bean used,30-75 minutes.Method 2: Quick SoakingPlace beans in a pot with water. Bring to boil for 2-5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, andlet soak for about an hour. Put beans back on heat. Bring to simmer and simmer covered for45-60 minutes, until beans are tender.Method 3: No Soaking“To begin with I never bother with soaking beans. I don’t even do the fast soak, the one where you boil the beans for 2 minutes and then turn off heat, cover pan and let them sit for 1 hour.I simply put my beans in a large pot and cover with the appropriate amount of water, add saltand cook. Using 1 cup dry beans(any variety), 4 cups water, 1 tsp. salt; Put all ingredients intoa cooking pot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat down to somewhere between mediumand low. You want the boil to continue, just not to fast. Simmer beans for about 2 to 3 hoursor until soft and completely cooked. Don’t let the beans run out of water so check them nowand again and add more water if needed. I think that the soaking does help cut down thecooking time, but I have never found that the soaking helps with anything else. The otherthing that I “always” do is add salt to my beans right at the beginning. I have read in many

places that salt will prevent your beans from cooking. I have never experienced this. When Isalt the beans ahead of time I find that the beans are very flavorful and the bean broth isdelicious.”~ from www.thefamilyhomestead.com/cookingwithbeans.htmMethod 4: Crock PotSome say you can't, some say you can. I find the texture of the bean is always great from acrockpot. Cook on low all day, or all night. Or cook on high 3-5 hours until done. If cookingon high, do keep an eye on the water level. You may need to add some if it gets low.Method 5: Pressure CookerEvery pressure cooker is different, so follow the directions for yours. Pressure cooking greatly reduces cooking time for beans. However, it may destroy some of the nutrients found inthe beans.When to Add What:The controversy over salt continues. I add mine at the end or in the middle of cooking time.Some add it at the beginning. Find what works for you. However, do remember whencooking beans that foods high in acid such as tomatoes will cause your beans not to cook.Make sure high acid foods are added ‘after’ the beans are cooked and soft.Freezing Beans:Beans can be frozen. I freeze mine in freezer bags before or after mashed, depending on whatI want them for. Unthaw in fridge overnight or in lukewarm water. If planning to use in salador soup, try not to let beans get too soft before freezing, or they could get a little mushy.Other Ways to use Beans:Beans cans substitute shortening/butter in most baking recipes. Just puree cooked beans withbean water and a little oil, or make a paste with bean flour(ground in a grinder), water, and alittle oil. I find adding a little oil helps it cook more like shortening. White beans work best,but others work fine too.Beans can be sprouted to add greens to your diet. Soak beans overnight(use a 4:1 water tobean ratio), then drain. Place beans in a jar covered with mesh, nylon, or netting secured witha rubber band. Rinse several times a day. Place in a warm place for 3-5 days. When sproutsare 1-2 inches long they are ready. Store in refrigerator up to 4 days. Can be used in salads,sandwiches, stir-fry, etc. You can make homemade soy milk by soaking soy beans, pureeing, then cooking in a large pot with water until fiber separates. Strain liquid through cheesecloth and you have soy milk.Further directions can be found online at many sites. The soy milk can even be used to maketofu, if you want to.Websites to visit: www.centralbean.com www.waltonfeed.com/self/beans2.html