Beans

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

NONE
There are two steps to cooking beans: soaking and cooking. Soaking
allows dried beans to absorb water; which makes them start to
dissolve the gaseous starches that can cause discomfort. Cooking
beans makes them tender and digestible. And rinsing them after
soaking and draining any water after cooking will further help to
reduce the gas-producing starches. Soaking and cooking dried beans is
neither difficult nor complicated. If you think preparing beans is a
lot of work, try our simple suggestions.
SOAKING BEANS: NOTE: Lentils, split peas and black-eyed peas do not
need to be soaked. Pick through the beans, discarding any discolored
or shriveled beans or any foreign matter. Rinse well.
Traditional Slow Soak: In a 5-quart saucepan, cover 1 pound dried
beans with 10 cups water. Cover tightly and refrigerate 6-8 hours or
overnight. Drain and rinse the beans.
Hot Soak: In a 5-quart saucepan, bring 10 cups water to a boil. Add 1
pound dried beans and return to a boil. Remove from the heat; cover
tightly and set aside at room temperature 2-3 hours. Drain and rinse
the beans.
Quick Soak: In a 5-quart saucepan, bring 10 cups water to a boil. Add
1 pound dried beans and return to a boil; let boil 2-3 minutes. Cover
tightly and set aside at room temperature 1 hour. Drain and rinse the
beans.
Gas-Free Soak: (The best method for gas-free beans, developed by the
California Dry Bean Advisory Board.) In a 5-quart sauce- pan, place 1
pound of beans in 10 or more cups of boiling water; boil for 2-3
minutes, cover and set aside overnight. By morning, 75 to 90 percent
of the indigestible sugars will have dissolved into the soaking
water. Drain, then rinse the beans thoroughly before cooking them.
COOKING BEANS: When cooking beans, do not add salt or acidic
ingredients, like vinegar, tomatoes or juice- which slow the cooking
substantially; add these ingredients when the beans are just tender.
Cooking times vary with the types of beans used but also may vary
with their age. Beans are done when they can be easily mashed between
two fingers or with a fork. Always test a few beans in case they have
not cooked evenly.
1. Return the soaked, rinsed beans to the 5-quart saucepan. Cover the
beans with 3 times their volume of water. Add herbs or spices (not
salt), as desired.
2. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered,
stirring occasionally, until tender (the time will depend on the type
of bean, but start checking after 45-60 minutes). Do not boil them
since this will Pressure Cooking break the skins. Check the level of
the water and add more if it gets low.
3. When the beans are tender, drain and use in recipes; or for later
use, immerse them in cold water until cool, then drain well and
freeze in 1- to 2-cup packages. One pound of dried beans will yield
about 5 or 6 cups cooked beans.
PRESSURE COOKING: This is one of the quickest ways to cook beans.
After you've soaked 1/2 pound of beans, place them in a 4-quart
pressure cooker with 4 cups water. Cook at 15 pounds pressure
following the manufacturer's directions for the type of legume you
are cooking.
Recipe by: Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian
Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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