Beans

For a long time cooking dried beans seemed somewhat intimidating, like it was too much of a commitment. I like the idea of have things “right now!” so all the soaking and night-before prep seemed quite demanding. 

I know now that preparing dried beans is not a daunting task, and while it does require some forethought, it doesn't require much effort. Canned beans are great, they can be a godsend when there is little else to eat, especially when on the go. While cans are recyclable, they remain a pollutant, so when I am able to (i.e. not tired, busy or in a hurry) I opt for the greener dried option. Canned beans can also contain other ingredients such as salt, sugar and possibly other undesirable additives, so if and when opting for the can, its a good idea to read the label.

Beans come in all sort of shapes and sizes, and while they are all superheroes, their nutritional profiles vary, so we try to eat a variety. The cooking method is the same for all varieties, the only difference is in the cooking time. 

All beans require soaking. Because the beans have been dried, it is important that moisture permeates through them, and cooking them immediately from dried more often than not will leave them with a little crunch and will take a lot longer to cook. Soaking also helps to break down the starches that can cause discomfort. If discomfort/gas is an issue, then discarding the soaking water and refilling pot with fresh water will help reduce any digestive issues. I do not discard the water as I believe that some nutrition from the beans is lost in the soaking liquid.

Discomfort from beans and cruciferous veg (broccoli, cauliflower etc.) is not a bad sign. It means that gut bacteria is reacting to what you are eating. Don’t worry, the bacteria are not upset, just getting used to the change in diet. Think of it as a little celebration in your tummy. The more consumed over time, the less excitement there will be as your microbes adapt.

Dried beans are usually sold in 500 gram packages. This is an ideal volume for home cooking. Each 500g of beans needs 2 litres of water for soaking and cooking. The cooking liquor (remaining water from cooked beans) is full of nutrition that has leached from the beans, so be sure to use it for cooking your rice, quinoa, etc to retain all of the nutrition. Beans freeze well, so it is worth cooking the entire 500g and freezing what you don’t plan on consuming within a day or two. 

When beans are cooked and still hot, the skin will peel off. To avoid this we allow the beans to cool in their liquor. This step also allows the beans to reabsorb some of the nutrients that have leached out while cooking.

I would love to give estimated cooking times for different varieties, but it is not so easy. While some beans cook more quickly than others, the age of the bean can make a huge difference in cooking time. If the beans have been sitting in the back of the cupboard for a while, they will probably take longer than those just picked up from the shop. They will cook much faster in a pressure cooker, but it then gets a little tricky to taste them to check if they are ready. 

Black beans cook in around 40 minutes from when the cooking water comes to boil. Chickpeas take about 90 minutes from the same point.

Cold Soak

• 500g beans
• 2 litres water
• Rinse and soak beans in a large pot for at least 8 hours, or overnight. 
• Bring pot to boil, cover and simmer until done.
• If adding salt, do so during the last 5-10 min of cooking time. 

Hot Soak

• 500g beans
• 2 litres water
• Rinse and place beans in pot, bring to the boil, turn off heat and let rest for at least 1hr.
• Bring pot to boil, cover and simmer until done.
• If adding salt, do so during the last 5-10 min of cooking time.

Once beans are cooked, they can be added to recipes, thrown into a salad, mashed, or as I often like to do, eat them like pop corn!