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Serves: 8 |
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4 cups dry beans Water
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Boil and soak method for prepping the beans: Wash the beans and discard any floaters or debris. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with 2” (thumb-length) of water. Bring the pot to a gentle boil for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Cover tightly and let stand at room temperature 6-20 hours.
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Fresh water
Spice it up! For chili beans, add: 2 tsp chili powder ½ tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp minced garlic |
Drain the beans, rinse with fresh water and drain again. Cover the beans with 1” of fresh water.
Add spices if desired, but don’t add salt until the beans are cooked.
Bring just to a boil and cook on med-low for 2-3 hours until the beans are tender. Add additional water if the level falls below the top of the beans.
If you are making chili, drain the bean broth and save it. Use it to thin out your chili if needed. Otherwise, freeze it to start your next soup pot.
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Tips for cooking beans:
1) Don’t add salt to the beans before they are cooked, it makes them tough.
2) Make sure the beans are done before adding tomatoes to the soup. The acid in tomatoes increases the cooking time of beans.
3) Increase the cooking time at higher altitudes.
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I have found that the boil and soak method eliminates the digestive problems and gas which many people have with beans.