This month my grocery budget is really getting the squeeze. This happens from time to time in my household. It is one of the reasons why we stock up on sales and other dry goods. We most likely will be eating out of our grocery store for the rest of the month. The large quantities of beans, wheat, rice and some misc freezer items along with a few fresh vegetables from our garden with keep us fed until the grocery cash is following again.
Dealing with dry beans has not always been easy for me. My mother always made such wonderful baked beans while mine always seemed to be a gamble. Would they be hard or would they soften up? Could I serve them to company or take them to the potluck? In fact, I was once told that some beans just don’t soften and doesn’t matter how long you cook them. Well, I no longer believe that because it is all in the method! I gave up overnight soaking and have been using this method of preparation for about a year now. Here is the best way I have found to prepare beans no matter how long they have aged.
2 ½ cups of dry beans or about 1 lbs
2 quarts of cold water
First rinse and sort the beans. Transfer the beans to a pot add the cold water and cover with a lid. Bring the beans to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Next bring the water level back to the starting level by adding hot water and replace cover. Bring the beans to a boil again, reduce heat and simmer for 3/4 to 1 hour. If the beans are fresh, they won’t need to full hour in order to become tender. If they are well aged, it may even take a bit longer just watch them closely. Once the beans are tender transfer them into a jar and store in refrigerator until ready to use in your favorite bean recipe.
