beans, beans

if you eat a lot of beans like i do, it makes much more sense to prepare them yourself, rather than buying them in cans. it's better for your health, the earth, and your pocket.

1. buy dry beans in bulk. if you have access to whole foods, buy them from the bulk bins at around a dollar a pound. if not, buy the dry beans in bags or see if you can order some organic beans online.


2. rinse and soak beans in water overnight in fridge (1 to 3 ratio).

3. cook beans on stove in large pot or a pressure cooker, if you have one. add a few tbsp oil and seasonings if you'd like (but don't add salt until they are cooked). if using a pot, cover beans with water by two inches, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. you can find bean cooking times here (but be sure to check the beans often to see if they are done to your liking).

4. pour cooked beans in colander and rinse (you can save the bean juice to use as soup stock).

chickpeas

5. allow beans to drain completely and cool, then pour on baking sheet or casserole dish and place in freezer. occasionally break beans apart with spoon or spatula.

6. store beans in plastic storage bag in freezer. grab any amount you need whenever you want! simply defrost them in warm water or over low heat on the stove.

black (turtle) beans

i paid $2.06 for 3 cups of these dry organic black beans. i ended up with about 12 cups cooked beans! to get 12 cups organic beans from cans, you'd have to buy at least 6 cans, at around $2.00 a can. i saved at least 10 buckaroos! it pays to be cheap! =)