About Dried Beans

Purchasing: Buy beans from a busy market. Old beans will take longer to cook.

Storing: Never store beans in their plastic bag. Bugs will eat through anything to get a meal. Adding a dried chili pepper in the beans helps keep bugs at bay. It is best to store beans in a glass or ceramic jar with a tight fitting lid.

Preparing: Spread beans out flat in a shallow baking dish. Discard any small stones, shriveled or broken beans. Pour beans into a large bowl and fill with water. Get rid of any that float to the top. Pour beans into a colander, rinse and return to the bowl, filling with water again. Pour beans into colander, rinse again then pour into the cooking pot for soaking.

Soaking: Add 4 cups water for each cup of dried beans.. Soaked overnight, beans should have increased to double their size. Discard the soaking water and drain and rinse the beans.

Cooking: To avoid tough beans, do not add acidic ingredients such as tomatoes, vinegar or citrus juice to a bean recipe until the beans have cooked. Avoid adding salt during cooking as well, as this keeps the beans for absorbing water. Bring to a boil, then quickly reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, adding more liquid if necessary. Add a small amount of sugar to the recipe to help beans keep their shape.

Nutrition: Cooked beans are a good source of folic acid, potassium, and contain small amounts of vitamin C, Magnesium, copper Vitamin A and iron. High in protein , combine with other protein source to make a complete protein.