More Beans

Tips for using Beans in Your Recipes

1.        Plan! Start early and make sure you have enough time to soak and cook your beans.

2.       Don’t forget the Beano! Don’t suffer through the aftermath of beans. Simply place the Beano next to the salt and pepper and pass it around. Hint: 1 tsp of meat tenderizer cooked into a pot of beans will cut down on gas problems.

3.       Look for chili and soup recipes that call for canned beans, and use freshly cooked beans instead.

4.      Cut the fat in baked goods while adding in protein and fiber! Substitute cooked and mashed beans for oil or butter in baked goods. These substitutes work especially well with cake and brownies. Baked goods that contain beans instead of butter or oil will have a lighter, fluffier texture. Remember, you can always start by using half mashed beans and half oil if you’re worried your family won’t like it.

Non-Traditional Use of Beans

Beans as a Butter, Margarine or Oil Substitute

Soak, cook and drain beans as instructed. Substitute beans for oil, margarine, or butter in baked goods, using the same amount of cooked beans as the type of fat called for. For recipes where butter or margarine is creamed with sugar, simply place whole, cooked beans with the sugar, then cream together. The dough may be moister than usual, so if you’re also using powdered eggs, DO NOT add water to rehydrate the eggs, since the liquid in the beans will rehydrate the eggs. (If the recipe is for cookies, be sure to grease the cookie sheet.) For recipes calling for oil, make a bean puree by placing cooked beans in a blender or food processor, then adding just enough water to blend beans into a smooth, thick paste with no chunks. If you use a food processor, water will most likely not be necessary. Match the bean with the color of the treat you’re making, so that the color of the treat doesn’t change. For example, black beans work great in chocolate-based goods, and white beans work great in yellow cake.

Bean Flour

Bean flour is one great way to put your beans to use. Add bean flour to any recipe calling for wheat flour. Replace up to 1/4 of the total amount of wheat flour with bean flour to add protein, fiber and iron.

Super nutrition can be added to any commercial dry mix (cakes, cookies, muffins, breads) by adding a few tablespoons of bean flour to the dry ingredients, then adding extra liquid as necessary. Combining bean and wheat flours also helps form a complete protein for those cutting out or down on meat. The best part is that no one will ever know they’re eating beans!

By adding bean flour to thicken gravies and sauces, you increase the nutrition and make your dishes virtually fat-free. Bean flour of any kind also makes an excellent "instant" creamy soup base. No more soaking, boiling, mashing, and blending those beans to make thick, creamy, rich-tasting soups. Simply grind some dry beans, add water, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add your own pasta, vegetables, or other beans for a quick, healthy, homemade soup.

As beans get older they are harder to cook. They don’t seem to soften as well as the newer beans. So, extend their usefulness by grind them into flour. Beans in this form are easier to digest and this is a great way to introduce beans in your families diet. Bean flour stores well in the refrigerator.

Grinding Tips

To grind beans, first sort them and check for dirty beans or rock pieces. Large beans like lima will need to be cracked in a blender or food grinder before grinding to a flour.

Store flours in resealable plastic bags or other food storage containers and refrigerate or freeze if possible. Flours last about six months at room temperature. After that time, a bitter aftertaste may start to develop. Old beans which have been stored too long (usually over 10 years) will taste bitter whether they have been cooked whole or ground to a flour and made into soup.

Thickener: Use bean flour to thicken or cream soups and stews. This is a great way to reduce the fat content of creamy soups. White bean flour has a neutral taste and a creamy flavor that could replace some of the heavy cream in vegetable soups. You can also use bean flour to make white sauce, as long as you use a mild-flavored flour.

Dip or Filling: Reconstitute the bean flours to make creamy dips and fillings for other recipes. Try using a white bean puree for a dairy-free lasagna filling.

Breakfast Drinks: Use bean puree in frozen fruit drinks to add protein and vitamins. Just add puree to taste.   

               

Dry Bean Preparation Tips

Soaking and Cooking: When cooking with beans, it is helpful, although not necessary, to soak and cook dry beans beforehand. There are two ways of doing this--the long soak method and the quick soak method. Before cooking or soaking beans, you should wash and sort the beans. Remove any rocks or dirt, and damaged beans, then rinse the beans in cold water. Remove any beans that float to the top as they may be hollow or ruined by mold or insects.

When using the long soak method, place the beans in a container and cover with approximately 4 times as much room temperature water as beans. Keep beans covered and let them soak 8 to 12 hours. Discard soak water and cook.

To prepare beans using the quick soak method, place beans in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Let the beans boil for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and let stand at least 1 hour. Discard the soak water and cook.

Pressure Cookers and Slow Cookers are also great time saving options. Never fill a pressure cooker past about one-third of capacity to allow for expansion and foaming. The foaming can be minimized by adding one tablespoon of oil. Approximate cooking time at ten pounds of pressure is twenty minutes, at fifteen pounds of pressure, ten minutes. Since slow cookers vary considerably in wattage, it is suggested that you follow the manufactures directions for cooking beans.

The longer the beans are soaked, the more sugar will be dissolved and the beans become easier to digest.

To cook the beans, refill a pan with fresh water, enough to cover the beans, and add 1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil to avoid foaming. Simmer beans slightly uncovered, until tender. Add to your favorite recipe.

Cooking beans without soaking takes a longer amount of time. When cooking unsoaked beans use twice as much water and bring to a boil, add beans, then cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours until beans are tender. Watch carefully and add water as needed.

Cooking time will depend on how tender you would like the beans. A bean that has been cooked, but is still firm is great for salads, while a bean that has been cooked longer until soft can be easily mashed. Taste test often to achieve desired tenderness. High altitudes will require a longer time to cook the beans.

Tips:

Add salt and acetic foods which tend to toughen the skin, such as tomatoes to the beans after they are tender.

Avoid overcooking. This reduces nutrients, results in poor texture, color and flavor. 

Storage Tips:

Dry beans can be stored in unopened packages or a sealed container in a cool, dry place.

Cooked beans can be stored up to three days covered in the refrigerator.

Frozen, cooked beans may be stored for several weeks.

Old dry beans will not absorb water. No amount of cooking will make them tender so use old beans for making flour.

Bean Equivalents

1 lb dry beans = 2 cups cooked

1 cup dry beans = 3 cups cooked

1 lb dry beans = 6 cups cooked