Full of Beans/ Slow-cooked, baked or boiled, they may be the perfect

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Oct 16, 2002 | by Teresa J. Farney

Long soaking: Soak beans in roomtemperature water for at least eight hours. Cover completely with tepid water; hot water will cause the beans to sour and cold water won't be absorbed as completely. Put a plate on top of the beans to keep them submerged. After the beans have soaked, drain, rinse and cook.

Short soaking: Boil the sorted and rinsed beans for about 2 minutes, then soak them for an hour in hot water. Beans must then be cooked immediately; if left in hot water more than a couple of hours, they will sour.

No soaking: If beans are not soaked, they will likely need twice as much time and water to cook. Because nonsoaked beans hydrate quickly when cooking, they must be watched carefully so all the water isn't absorbed. Add water frequently.

- Source: "The Bean Harvest Cookbook," by Ashley Miller

Cooking beans

Ways to cook beans include stove top, oven, pressure cooker and slow cooker.

Oven or slow cooker: Before baking beans or cooking them in a slow cooker, parboil them until their skins crack. After that, it takes about six to eight hours to bake beans, and about four hours to cook them in a slow cooker.

Stove top: Use a deep pot and cover it only partially to avoid boil-overs. Cook the beans slowly so they maintain their taste and plumpness. Beans are done when you can squash one against the roof of your mouth with your tongue - it should mash easily. Most beans will take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to cook.

Pressure cooker: Do not fill the cooker more than one-third full to allow room for the beans to expand. Add water to cover, along with four tablespoons of oil to reduce foaming. Cover, cook at 10 pounds pressure about 35 minutes. Let pressure drop of its own accord.

- Source: "The Bean Harvest Cookbook," by Ashley Miller

Do the math

A pound of beans measures about 2 cups. Beans triple in volume when soaked and cooked.

A cup of dried beans will yield 3 cups cooked. A pound will yield 6 cups.

For soaking, use 3 cups of water per cup of dried beans. Simmer each pound of beans 2 hours after soaking. A pound of dried beans makes about 9 servings of baked beans. A pound of dried beans makes about 12 servings of bean soup. A one-pound can of cooked beans measures about 2 cups.

- Source: American Dry Bean Board

Quick tips

TO COOK:

Add a tablespoon of oil or butter during cooking to reduce foaming and boil-overs.

Simmer beans gently to prevent skins from bursting.

Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Beans soaked overnight keep their shape and have a more uniform texture than quick-soak beans.

Increase both the soaking time and cooking time in hard water or high altitudes.

To make beans firm, add any acidic substance, such as lemon juice, vinegar, tomatoes or wine at the end of cooking time.

TO STORE:

Dried beans will keep almost indefinitely; store them at room temperature in covered containers. Do not keep dried beans in the refrigerator.

Cooked beans can be kept covered and refrigerated about four or five days. If packaged in moisture and vapor-proof containers, cooked beans can be kept in the freezer for up to six months.