Whether with a plate of hot dogs or on top of a steaming pile of rice, beans are a tasty addition to any meal. Full of fiber, protein and nutrients, beans are tasty and good for you too. Often, beans get a bad culinary rap because most people often think of beans in its canned form. It does not have to be that way. Let these tips show you how to properly make and enjoy beans. Discover the taste possibilities of beans.
Get Dry Beans:
Avoid the temptation of canned or pre-made beans. Sure, they may save you time, but the bonus of dry beans is that you get to control all the flavors of the beans. Dry beans are really cheap too.
Soak The Beans:
The beans will taste the same even if you skip this step, but your intestines will not react well. Soaking the beans accomplishes two major tasks. One is that is softens the beans to shorten cooking time. Another is that it removes excess gas from the beans, dramatically decreasing the negative side effects beans can have within our digestive systems. Soak beans for as long as possible, ideally overnight. Do not boil the beans in the soaking water. The soaking water contains all the excess gas, so cooking the beans in the soaking water just reintroduces the gas back into the equation. After soaking, thoroughly drain, rinse and pat dry the beans to ensure that all of the excess gas is gone.
Cook Simply:
Beans have a lot of subtle flavors. Cooking dry beans with other ingredients can sometimes overpower the beans’ flavor. It is always easier to add flavors than to subtract flavors. Unless you plan on eating the beans separately, add other flavors to the equation when you combine the beans with other ingredients. I like to boil my beans with some onions and maybe a little pepper, that is it.
Give The Beans Time:
Even after the soaking process, dry beans still take a long time to cook. Typically, dry beans take about 1 to 2 hours to cook in a boiling pot on the stove top. Beans are easy to make, just not fast. Do not rush the beans. Be patient with the beans and your patience will be rewarded.
Give The Beans Room:
Beans expand. The beans will expand during soaking and cooking process. During soaking and cooking, place the beans in large containers to give the beans room to expand. The last thing you want is to have cooked beans spill out all over your cooking space.
Cook In Advance:
Dry beans take a long time to cook. On weeknights, many people do not have the time or patience to wait two hours for the beans to cook. If you want to enjoy beans on a night where you have little free time, plan in advance and make a big batch of beans beforehand. Over the weekend, cook up a big pot of beans and stash them in the fridge. Reheat the beans during the week when needed.
For more great recipes and cooking tips, as always check out RecipeLion.com
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