Cooking Dried Beans in 3 Easy Steps
This information has changed my life.
Not even kidding.
I had always shied away from buying dried beans in the past. All the soaking and hours of cooking on the stove just wasn’t something I had the time or patience for.
But then I came across a wonderful blog post by the Cheapskate Cook on the Convenience of Canned Beans-Without the Can or Additives.
And there it was. My life would never be the same again.
I’ll share with you the simplified version…
Cooking Dried Beans in 3 Easy Steps:
1. Place dried beans and water in a crock pot (in a 1:2 ratio-1 cup of beans for every 2 cups of water)
2. Turn on crock pot.
3. Walk away.
I know-you’re blown away. Don’t you love the simplicity?!
Not to mention the health benefits of avoiding additives & preservatives typically found in canned beans.
AND the financial benefits of buying dried beans in bulk versus canned beans.
I ended up with the equivalent of at least 5 cans of black beans (only 4 are pictured below) for a whopping $2.62. When you consider that a can of organic beans costs around $1 each (or more), I ended up saving almost half what I would normally spend!
That’s a pretty darn significant savings.
When they are finished cooking (6-8 hours on low, 4-5 hours on high), I like to portion them into containers using a slotted spoon (I peel the labels off my almond butter and spaghetti sauce jars to be used for events just like this).
You can stick them in the freezer if you don’t see yourself using them in the next couple of weeks.
But when there are so many delicious ways to cook with beans, I’m not sure you will have any problem with that.
I add beans to my chili, or I toss them with some brown rice pasta, sauteed onions & peppers, and red sauce.
I also include them in quinoa salads like these from Karina at Gluten Free Goddess or Erin at Erin’s Food Files.
And at the request of my seemingly-always-hungry husband, I make large quantities of homemade hummus!
What are your favorite ways to eat beans?
Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad
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Feb 24, 2011 @ 06:55:23
[…] An some of these beans that I jar myself. Buying bagged beans is way cheaper than buying cans. All you have to do is throw them in the crock pot. My friend, Lori gives you the three easy steps to beans on her super awesome blog. […]
Jun 22, 2011 @ 21:19:39
Thanks for sharing this post with me, Laurel! Now I’m wondering why I spent $150 on a pressure cooker. Doesn’t seem like I’ll need it! Totally trying this this weekend.
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Jul 13, 2011 @ 05:13:24
[…] cups cooked green lentils - check out Laurel’s method for cooking beans in a slow […]
Feb 06, 2012 @ 21:25:04
Oh wow. That is easy. Do you get farty problems since the soaking and cooking water is the same? That’s my biggest worry with beans, so I try to do everything I can to avoid it.
Feb 09, 2012 @ 16:44:19
I don’t notice any, but if you usually have big problems with that you might want to soak yours separately. Although I suppose it couldn’t really hurt to try it once (provided you pick a time to be home by yourself afterwards just in case! :-P)
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Mar 06, 2012 @ 14:23:26
[…] of beans for hours did not encourage me to cook from scratch. But when I learned how easy it is to cook dried beans in the crock pot, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. Save money and reduce your exposure to BPA lined cans at the same […]
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Jun 27, 2012 @ 15:03:23
[…] you know to cook your own dried beans, right? Way less expensive than canned beans and you avoid all those nasty chemicals from the […]
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Jun 27, 2012 @ 16:24:40
[…] Garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas)-the main ingredients in hummus-is full of protein to keep you moving and ward off hunger pangs. You can use canned beans if you want, but you’ll save money and preserve more nutrients if you cook the beans yourself. (Pro tip: use a crockpot!) […]
Aug 19, 2014 @ 14:59:57
I like to add a tablespoon of bacon grease to the beans before I slow cook them. and when I’m done I puree them with a blender for a smooth bean mixture that I use to make better than shelf, homemade refried beans, and also as a base for my famous homemade 5 hour bean dip.