Email to becky sims      

Recipe Categories: becky's HOME PAGEAPPETIZERS BakeSale BARS BBQ Beef beef BEVERAGES BREAD BreadMachine BREAKFAST BROTH CAKESandPIES CakesPiesMuffinsCupcakes Camping CANDY CASSEROLES CastIronCooking Chili COOKIES CookingwithCandyBars CookingwithKids CookingwithSoup CopyCat CountryKnowledge CountryWordMeanings CROCKPOT DeepFry Dehydrate Dessert-Frozen DESSERTS Diabetic DIABETIC Dips DRESSINGS DRYRUBS ETHNIC FathersDay FISHandSEAFOOD ForCodyKatelyn FourthofJuly FROSTINGS FRUIT Fruit gamedaysnacks GiftsinaJar Glaze GRAVIES GRILLING GROUNDBEEF Halloween HASHBROWNS HelpfulHints HillbillyCookin HillbillySayingsStories Holiday ICECREAM Leftovers LowFat LOWFAT MARINADES MEATS MemorialDayGrilling MICROWAVE Miscellaneous MothersDay OLDFASHION OldFashionRemedies OldTimeCooking OldWives39Tales OneDishRecipes PASTA PIZZA PORK POTATOES POULTRY PRESSURECOOKER Puddings PUNCH QuickandEasy recipecircuschef39srecipes RICE Rotisserie SALADandDRESSING SALADS SANDWICHES SAUCES Seasoning SIDEDISH SIDE_DISH SNACKS SopsandMops SOUPSandSTEWS Spices SpreadsSyrup Top10of2007 Top10of2008 Top10of2009 Top10recipesof2011 TopTenPecanDesserts Turkey Valentine39sDay VEGETABLES WILDGAME

Beans, Dried




Source of Recipe


cooking village


Recipe Link: http://cookingvillage.com


Beans, beans, the musical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel
So eat some beans at every meal!
—Anonymous

TIDBIT Sad but true—beans can cause a problem for some people. The gas-producing troublemakers in beans are oligosaccharides—complex sugars that, because they’re indigestible by normal stomach enzymes, proceed into the lower intestine, where they’re fermented by friendly bacteria, a process that produces that lyrical gas.

PURCHASING Choose plump dried beans; discard any that are discolored or shriveled. Tiny holes in dried beans signal bug invaders. The label term “quick-cooking” describes beans that have been soaked and dried. They don’t require presoaking and take considerably less time to cook. However, their cooked texture isn’t as firm to the bite as regular dried beans.

EQUIVALENTS 1 pound = about 2 1/2 cups uncooked (depending on the size), 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups cooked; 1 cup = about 2 1/2 cups cooked

STORING
• Dried beans: Store in an airtight container for up to a year in a cool, dry place. They can be frozen indefinitely.

• Cooked beans: Refrigerate and use within 5 days.

PREPARING
• Check beans thoroughly for tiny pebbles or other debris.

• Most beans require being soaked in water for several hours or overnight to rehydrate them before cooking. Use a large bowl or pot (to allow the beans to increase in size as they soak) and cover the beans with at least 3 inches of cold water.

• To stave off flatulence, change the water at least twice during the soaking process.

• Quick-soak method: If time is short, put beans in a large pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 to 2 hours before cooking.

COOKING
• Before cooking beans, drain off the soaking water and start with fresh water in which to cook the beans.

• When making a dish that contains two different types of beans (black beans and Great Northern beans, for example), cook them separately, then combine them when they’re done. Every variety requires a slightly different cooking time and if they are cooked together, one is bound to be overdone or underdone.

• Reduce foaming and boilovers by adding 2 to 3 teaspoons vegetable oil to the cooking water.

• Salting the cooking liquid for dried beans tends to slow the cooking and toughen the beans. Salt the beans after they’re cooked.

• Acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes or wine, also slow down the cooking time, so either make allowances for this or add the acidic food when the beans are almost done.

• Cook beans over low heat. Boiling can cause the cooking liquid to overflow, the beans to break apart and the skins to separate.

• For firm-textured beans, cook them uncovered; for softer beans, cover the pot.

• Fear of flatulence? Start the beans in water, simmer them for 30 minutes then drain off the water. Replace with fresh boiling water or other liquid. Continue cooking the beans until they are done.

• Since the cooking time for dried beans varies greatly, always test for doneness by tasting the beans. They should be smooth yet firm and not mushy. Or gently squeeze a bean between your thumb and index finger—if the core is still hard, cook the beans longer.

• When the beans are done, immediately drain off the hot cooking liquid or they’ll continue to cook.