Country Beans New ideas for “User Friendly Beans” in a hurry by Rita Bingham

Background: Learning how to use and cook dry beans was a major journey of mine last year. I was always skeptical you could do anything with dry beans before embarking on my “learn how to use beans” journey. If you’ve followed us for awhile, you probably were there when I made the “Magical Fruit” discovery on how to use dry beans to make cream of chicken replacements, and when I finally learned how to actually COOK dry beans. Most of my bean discoveries and learnings have come from the fabulous book “Country Beans”.

What I Liked: What I liked most about this book is how all-inclusive, and simple it is. Rita doesn’t assume that you’re an expert chef and gives you a lot of background information. Most of the time, when I get cookbooks I think to myself “Oh that recipe looks good, but I’ll have to go grocery shopping for half those mystery items”. When I opened the book and started looking at the recipes, I had a ton of them immediately tagged as recipes I could make right away. Rita also includes hundreds of GLUTEN-FREE recipes in this book. Using bean flours is a great way to replace gluten in a lot of recipes.

Sections: This book has more than recipes. It is full of information about using, storing, and cooking beans as well. Here are the sections the book contains. There are so many sections I’m going to do a screen shot of them because typing them out would take forever! Notice all the fabulous sections at the end! When I got this book I really needed education, not just recipes so it was great!

Feedback: The only drawback of this book is that there aren’t pictures for the recipes. Some people will only get books with pictures, but I felt like I didn’t really need the pictures with this book.

Summary: Quit being afraid of using your beans and get this book! “Country Beans”

“Jodi, there is no way I will ever use beans in my Food Storage, so I’ll just store a lot of Tuna for protein”

“Jodi, I decided I actually like black beans now, so I’ll just store a lot of cans of beans”

“Jodi, I was thinking MAYBE I should try to learn how to cook dry beans”

“Jodi, that was a DISASTER, I’m never trying to cook black beans again – they took forever and didn’t even turn out good”

“Jodi, pressure cooking those dry beans was way faster by they turned out WAY mushy”

“Jodi, I got the texture right… I finally got the texture right- but the beans are tasteless”

“Jodi – I GOT IT!”

So I’m proud to declare, I’ve switched over from team canned, to team dry, but I’m also very sympathetic to the team canners. I know that often times you may be in a hurry and just need to open a can of beans, or maybe you have had some bad luck with trying to cook dry beans, or maybe you just haven’t given it a chance yet. Dry beans have plenty of advantages that I’m sure most of you are aware of. They are cheaper, can be healthier, and you can store them longer. So – whether you’re ready or not, I’ll show you how to cook dry beans – and if you’re not ready – remember this post and come back to it one day.

Pressure Cooking Dry Beans

I’ll tell you EXACTLY how I do mine. I cook them in my electric pressure cooker, and LOVE how fast and easy it is. I usually make a seasoned black bean and use it in burritos with brown rice, throw them on salads, put them in any recipe calling for black beans. You can alter the seasonings or bean type. I found putting MORE spices than I thought it needed was when it actually started tasting good. I think I didn’t realize how many beans I was actually cooking, so I under-seasoned them for a long time. Do not add salt as that will slow the cooking process. Also- as a side note, often times I’ll cook chicken in my pressure cooker first, then use the leftover broth as the water for cooking the beans. This gives it a REALLY great flavor.

Cooking Beans Instructions

Add 5 cups of water in pressure cooker
Add spices ( 1 Tablespoon of cumin, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, 2 Tablespoons of dehydrated onions, 2 Tablespoons of dry cilantro)
Add 2 cups of black beans

Cook on high pressure. Set pressure cooker for 30 minutes. After the pressure cooker beeps, do quick pressure release… and ENJOY how EASY THAT WAS!

Did you all just gasp and say ARE YOU SERIOUS, NO PRE-SOAKING AND 30 MINUTES? Well you should have! It’s awesome. To learn more about pressure cookers – see Jodi’s post last week.

For more about Bean’s Do’s and Don’ts and links to cooking dry beans without a pressure cooker, visit our BabyStep 6: Legumes page.

As we have been discussing some of the things Jodi and I have learned over the last 2 years of blogging about food storage, my favorite thing has been somewhat of an unexpected thing. I know I’ve been harping on this a lot lately, but it really excites me that food storage can be healthy. I really had no idea how many hidden treasures of knowledge I would gain on this journey.

When we first started, I told Jodi there was no way I would even store beans because they were to hard to soak, cook, and use. I said I would stick to tuna for protein and call it good. Who knew I would be the biggest fan of all things beans just 2 years later. I love using them to make a way healthy cream of chicken soup, to put in all sorts of recipes, and to eat as a healthy side.

So I really had no idea why so many people fussed about this bread, I was just excited to try something new… I looked it up and found this:

Ezekiel bread in it’s earliest form can be found in the Holy Bible in the book of Ezekiel chapter 4, verse 9 which says: “Also take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and put them into one vessel and make bread of them.” (Amplified Bible) In this verse the prophet Ezekiel is told by God to make bread in a certain way and then he lives on water and this bread for 390 days while he resides in the desert.

Ezekiel bread is a bread made from four grains and four beans. Typically it contains wheat, spelt or rye, barley, millet, lentils, great northern beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans ground in a grain mill. The specific mixture of grains and beans has been tested by food scientists and found to be complete nutritionally.

Combined the wet ingredients and got all my grains out. I bought the ones I didn’t already have at the bulk section of a store called Winco here in Utah. I think most health food stores, or stores that sell grains in bulk should have all the ingredients.

Layered the grains in legumes in this clear measuring cup (for no reason other then to take a cute picture…) Isn’t it decorative and beautiful?

Threw all the grains and legumes into my WonderMill wheat grinder that I LOVE and ….

Out came a beautiful flour. I mixed the flour with the wet stuff and kept mixing. The consistency is more like a batter then a doughy bread-

Let the loaves rise, then I baked them and tested it by taking a glob of bread out of the middle…

Ingredients
• 2 1/2 cups wheat berries
• 1 1/2 cups spelt flour
• 1/2 cup barley
• 1/2 cup millet
• 1/4 cup dry green lentils
• 2 tablespoons dry great Northern beans
• 2 tablespoons dry kidney beans
• 2 tablespoons dried pinto beans
• 4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt

Directions
1. Measure the water, honey, olive oil, and yeast into a large bowl. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir all of the grains and beans together until well mixed. Grind in a flour mill. Add fresh milled flour and salt to the yeast mixture; stir until well mixed, about 10 minutes. The dough will be like that of a batter bread. Pour dough into two greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
3. Let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until dough has reached top of the pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes, or until loaves are golden brown.

Next up on our list is Legumes! Legumes can be very intimidating to a lot of people so this is a great one to help people realize they aren’t so bad. Here are some ideas to help people use, and understand legumes a little better:

Options that are Free or Under $1

12 Bean Soup

Purchase a 1 lb bag of 12 bean soup mix from the grocery store. Tie a ribbon around it and include the Day 7 Tags. If you want to be really ambitious you can include this 12 Bean Soup Recipe on a cute recipe card too. It’s delicious!

An Option that is $5-$20

Sprouting Kit

Ever tried sprouting? Well if you know someone who wants to get into the really good stuff, give them this sprouting kit and as a bonus, include a few of the legumes that are good for sprouting! Sprouting is a great way to use some of your food storage, and it’s super healthy and nutritious! Add your Day 7 Tags and it’s the perfect food storage gift.

A More Expensive Option

Pressure Cooker

Here’s another one of those – if you’re feeling REALLY generous gifts. This electric pressure cooker is a DREAM come true for cooking dry beans. No pre-soaking, waiting hours, and worrying about your beans turning out ever again! Don’t forget your Day 7 Tags.

Back to the 12 Days List

What are split peas?
Split peas are the dried peeled and split seeds of Pisum sativum. Even though the peas are round when harvested and dried, they are mechanically split after they are peeled. This helps decrease the cooking time.

What are the varieties of split peas?
There are two varities of split peas, yellow and green. Yellow split peas have a milder flavor and are good to use in dishes where you want to hide the richer, green pea flavor.

What is the shelf life of split peas?
If stored in the regular plastic bags that most legumes come from the grocery store in, the shelf life is only about 1 year. But if properly stored in an airtight sealed container with oxygen absorbers, the shelf-life can extend to ten years or more.

How do you cook split peas?
Split peas do not need to be pre-soaked like other dry legumes. You simply throw them into the soup or stew you are making and they will cook in a reasonable amount of time. The 12 bean soup Jodi posted earlier this week is a great one to throw some split peas into! Split peas may also be ground into pea flour to use as the basis for some pea soup recipes.

12 Bean Soup Recipe:

Ingredients:
2 c. 12-bean soup mix*
1 ham bone (optional)
4 T. bulls eye BBQ sauce
1 chopped onion (can use dehydrated)
1 T. sugar
1 small clove garlic
3 stalks celery, diced (can use dehydrated)
¼ tsp. lemon pepper
2 carrots, diced (can use dehydrated)
2 T. ketchup
28 oz. can whole tomatoes
¼ tsp. salt and ginger
1 pinch red pepper flakes

*You can buy this as a mix or make your own with a variety of the legumes in your food storage

Directions:
Wash 2 cups of bean mix. Soak in a large pot overnight. Drain. Add 8 cups water, ham bone, 1 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. ginger. Bring to a boil and cook until beans are tender (about 1 hour). Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Simmer 2 ½ to 3 hours. Stir and add water as needed. For more zest, double all spices.

Common Types of Sprouts:

• Grains
  • Wheat
  • Rice
  • Oats
  • Corn
  • Barley
• Legumes
  • Peas
  • Lentils
  • Soy Beans, Garbanzo, Mung beans
  • Dried Beans (black, pinto, navy, kidney)
• Nuts + Seeds
  • Almonds
  • Sunflower Seeds, Sesame seeds, Alfalfa
  • Vegetable Seeds esp. pumpkin

Health Benefits of Sprouts:

• Sprouting a seed enhances its already high nutritional value (i.e. Oats when sprouted contain 600% more vitamin C)
• Sprouts are high in antioxidants that prevent DNA destruction and protect from the effects of aging
• Sprouts contain concentrated amounts of phytochemicals which help protect against diseases
• Alfalfa sprouts contain saponins which:
  • Lower bad cholesterol and fat but keep the good hdl fats
  • Stimulate immune system
  • Help prevent cardiovascular disease
• Sprouts are a nutritious, low-fat filler for meats or addition to soups, etc.

How to Grow Sprouts:

1. Prepare the seeds
   • Remove broken and discolored seeds
   • Wash seeds
   • Soak overnight (if necessary)
   • Drain
2. Place seeds in sprouting container and rinse thoroughly.
3. Drain off all excess water.
4. Place in a warm area where temperature will remain even.
5. Rinse 2-3 times per day.
6. Once they reach the desired length, place near sunlight until leaves become green.

For a full tutorial with pictures on how Jodi experimented with growing Lentil sprouts visit her post on How to Grow Sprouts.

Sprouting Resources:

The Complete Sprouting Cookbook – This book is from the 70′s but it has everything you could want to know and more. Jodi’s mom had it hidden in a cupboard and we just raved over it when we found it.
Sprouts: The Miracle Food – More recent book on sprouting.
Sprout Master Sprouter – The kit that Julie uses to grow her sprouts.

Have you had successes or failures with sprouting? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Although this information maybe seem a little “boring” we found it on the USU Extension and thought it would be a good reference to share for any of you who may also be a little “afraid” of beans.

Soaking Beans:

1. Quick Soak Method: hot soaking helps dissolve some of the gas-causing substances. Cover beans with twice as much water as beans, bring to a boil, boil 2 minutes, remove from heat and allow to soak at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Discard soaking liquid.
2. Traditional Overnight Soak: Cover with twice as much water as beans and soak 8-18 hours in cool place, discard soaking water.
3. Do not salt soaking liquid. It will toughen the bean.
4. It is not necessary to soak split peas and lentils.

Cooking Legumes:

1. Beans will double to triple in size during soaking and cooking. In other words, 1 cup dry beans will produce 2-3 cups of cooked beans.
2. The slower the beans are cooked the easier they are to digest. Slow cooker cooking on low for 6-10 hours is perfect.
3. If adding water to cooking beans is necessary, bring water to a boil before adding. Adding cold water to boiling beans will toughen beans and slow down cooking process.

Softening Old Beans:

The older the bean the tougher it is and less digestible. Following are a few tips to soften old beans.
1. Cook and freeze. The freezing moisture in the bean helps to rupture the cell wall and create a more palatable product.
2. Pressure cook. Follow manufacturer’s directions for using pressure cooker. Increase cooking time as needed to produce a desired texture.
3. Pressure-can beans. This method makes a readily usable product as well as softens beans. Follow USDA canning instructions below for pressuring.

Increasing Consumption of Beans:

You should eat beans about 2-3 times a week. (2½ to 3 cups per week)
1. Plan menus.
2. Puree cooked beans and add to baked goods (bread, cake, cookies, etc.). Substitute pureed beans for shortening or margarine, straight across. (equal amounts)
3. Prepare convenience foods such as home canned dry beans or cook and freeze for later use.
4. Add whole mashed beans to meatloaves, soups, stews, casseroles (in small amounts to begin with, then increase as desired, and as allowed by family taste preference.)

We decided it would be good to revise each BabyStep as part of our Summer Crash Course. So jump in and get started … it’s not too late! This week we are covering BabyStep 6: Legumes (click here to view the full step)

• Updated the key points with additional information on other ways to use legumes
• Updated the online resources section
• Added this “Canned Bean to Dry Bean Conversion Chart” under Charts/Diagrams

Beans … The Magical Fruit
How to Grow Lentil Sprouts
Food Storage Made Easy Legume Recipes

Stay tuned for a more advanced post on this topic coming later this week