Basic Dried Beans Food

BEAN TRIO

Steps:

• For the best basic beans: Cover the beans with cold water to cover by 1 inch, and soak at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
• Rinse the beans and place them in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Top with the garlic, bacon, bay leaves, onion, salt and pepper. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch, then mix and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then cover the pot halfway (meaning, don't place the lid tightly on the pot) and cook until the liquid is thick and the beans are tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. (Continue to simmer if it needs more time.)
• Serve topped with grated Cheddar and diced red onion.
• For the Tex-Mex beans: Follow the basic beans recipe above, adding the jalapenos, chili powder and hot sauce with the bacon and other ingredients. Simmer the beans according to the directions above. Serve topped with a dollop each of guacamole, salsa and sour cream.
• For the Cajun beans: Follow the basic beans recipe above, adding the andouille sausage, paprika, chile flakes and thyme with the bacon and other ingredients. Simmer the beans according to the directions above. Serve topped with sliced green onions.

BASIC DRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Note: Lentils, split peas and black-eyed peas do not need to be soaked.
• Pick through the beans, discarding any discolored or shriveled beans or any foreign matter.
• Rinse well.
• Traditional Slow Soak: In a 5-quart saucepan, cover 1 pound dried beans with 10 cups water.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight.
• Drain and rinse the beans.
• Hot Soak: In a 5-quart saucepan, bring 10 cups water to a boil.
• Add 1 pound dried beans and return to a boil.
• Remove from the heat; cover tightly and set aside at room temperature 2-3 hours.
• Drain and rinse the beans.
• Quick Soak: In a 5-quart saucepan, bring 10 cups water to a boil.
• Add 1 pound dried beans and return to a boil; let boil 2-3 minutes.
• Cover tightly and set aside at room temperature 1 hour.
• Drain and rinse the beans.
• Gas-Free Soak: (The best method for gas-free beans, developed by the California Dry Bean Advisory Board.) In a 5-quart sauce- pan, place 1 pound of beans in 10 or more cups of boiling water; boil for 2-3 minutes, cover and set aside overnight.
• By morning, 75 to 90 percent of the indigestible sugars will have dissolved into the soaking water.
• Drain, then rinse the beans thoroughly before cooking them.
• COOKING BEANS: When cooking beans, do not add salt or acidic ingredients, like vinegar, tomatoes or juice- which slow the cooking substantially; add these ingredients when the beans are just tender.
• Cooking times vary with the types of beans used but also may vary with their age.
• Beans are done when they can be easily mashed between two fingers or with a fork.
• Always test a few beans in case they have not cooked evenly.
• Return the soaked, rinsed beans to the 5-quart saucepan.
• Cover the beans with 3 times their volume of water.
• Add herbs or spices (not salt), as desired.
• Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender (the time will depend on the type of bean, but start checking after 45-60 minutes).
• Do not boil them since this will break the skins.
• Check the level of the water and add more if it gets low.
• When the beans are tender, drain and use in recipes; or for later use, immerse them in cold water until cool, then drain well and freeze in 1- to 2-cup packages.
• One pound of dried beans will yield about 5 or 6 cups cooked beans.
• PRESSURE COOKING: This is one of the quickest ways to cook beans.
• After you've soaked 1/2 pound of beans, place them in a 4-quart pressure cooker with 4 cups water.
• Cook at 15 pounds pressure following the manufacturer's directions for the type of legume you are cooking.