Bean Basics
By Elizabeth "BJ" Woolley (04-06-2002)

I've been talking a lot of beans lately. Here is a bean "primer" for those of us who would like to know more about makin' beans.

Once (pinto-sized) beans are cooked they can generally be used interchangeably. Tepary beans are higher in fiber than most and will take longer to cook. Fresher beans will cook more quickly.

One tablespoon cooking oil may be added to beans when cooking to reduce foaming and prevent boiling over. The longer you allow the beans to soak, the less gas they will produce (make sure you drain out the water the beans were soaking in). When adding ingredients and spices for recipes, only add acidic ingredients (tomatoes, vinegar, wine, citric juices) when the beans are almost tender.

Beans will generally triple in size. One cup dry packaged beans will make about 3 cups of cooked beans.
Extra beans can be refrigerated for 4-5 days or stored in moisture-proof and vapor-proof containers for up to six months in the freezer.

The following cooking instructions are for plain, unspiced beans. Browse cookbooks and experiment by adding spices, using broths and/or various meats.

Plain Beans - Long Stovetop Method

1. Sort (remove rocks and damaged beans) and rinse 1 pound of dried beans (about 2 cups).
2. Soak beans in two quarts of water for eight hours.
3. Drain water from beans.
4. Place beans in a large pot with enough fresh water to cover about 1 inch above beans (about 10 cups).
5. Bring beans to a boil and simmer until desired tenderness (2-3 hours).
   

Plain Beans - Shorter Stovetop Method

1. Sort (remove rocks and damaged beans) and rinse 1 pound of dried beans (about 2 cups).
2. Place beans in a large pot with two quarts of water and bring to a boil.
3. Boil beans for three minutes and remove from heat.
4. Cover the pot and let it stand for 1-4 hours.
5. Drain water from beans.
6. Place beans in a large pot with enough fresh water to cover about 1 inch above beans (about 10 cups).
7. Bring beans to a boil and simmer until desired tenderness (2-3 hours).

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