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Beans. How do you cook them?
Started
by catgirl
on November 14, 2009
This question was never answered. Can u also cook rice in a pressure cooker. I just recently moved to a house where the kitchen is upstairs and since i've been here i haven't successfully made 1 pot of beans. I have successfully however burned up and ruined 4 heavy duty pots. I like my bean juice to get surupy and beans real tender and that doesn't happen in just 45 min. So i think a pressure cooker is what i need so i don't burrn my house down because i forget to go upstairs and check beans or leave the house completly.
hi!:-)
one more question concerning beans: I keep reading that you should soak beans, then cook then and keep taking the foam off while doing this.. now: I think it works just the same if you just cook them without further fussing. so: is there a health aspect I´m missing? the same goes for why you should add salt to lentils only at the end of the cooking time.. so, any experts for pulses out there?;-)
I eat some type of bean almost everynight. i use the dried beans and prepare them the old fashioned way. at night, I would soak the beans and the next morning before work, I would drain the water off, add clean water put them in the slow cooker on low until I get home, I walk in the house with the great smell of cooked beans and they are ready to eat. I eat so many beans, that I have to do this at least twice a week, which is a lot since its only me. I don't own a microwave and have no desire to have one, everything I cook is stovetop, oven or ready to eat fresh fruit and veggies.
I'm from the south where just about any bean I've ever had was made with bacon grease or ham neck in them. I love beans but sometimes they seem plain to me. Any seasoning suggestions?
Bretzel, hey, I think the reason you take the foam off is (at least in part) to help you avoid getting gas after eating them. I read that somewhere, it seems like it may have even been in The Kind Diet. I am not sure if there are other health reasons to do it or not. Hope that helps! :)
breezy0204, I like to put beans in vegan chili and vegan taco soup (so yummy). As far as seasoning just plain beans, there are a lot of vegan sauces you can add or many spices. I am partial to some BBQ sauce or baked beans (which you can find vegan). Not the healthiest, but vegan and better than a greasy cheeseburger. If you want to keep it simple, investing in a black pepper grinder is what I would recommend. So much better than regular pepper. Oh and BTW, where in the south are you, or have you moved?
Alexia, you can cook beans in a crockpot, but they are more firm that way. I am like you and usually prefer them soft. It could help if you stirred them every once in awhile or cook them a really long time. At least you won't burn the house down :)
Buying dry beans is so much cheaper. the trick is to soak them overnight. This prevents gas and then I cook them according to the recipe I'm preparing. The recipes I use just require a regular pot, I have never used a slow cooker or a pressure cooker.
Breezy, to give pinto beans some flavor I like to add maybe half an onion & a garlic clove or two to the water when cooking. You could also add 1/2 can or more of Rotel (tomatoes, peppers) Or cilantro, too. For other types of beans experiment with bay leaf, oregano, cumin, celery, bell pepper...just depends on what flavors you want. (When i know I'll be making hummus i don't add anything to the garbanzoes as they cook.) Also, consider adding liquid smoke (careful w/amounts as it can easily overpower) to the cooking water to give it an almost smoked hamhock flavor...this would work well with black-eyed peas (pintos, too) Using a veggie broth instead of plain water gives flavor, too.
Thanks for the suggestions! Very helpful and ill be excited to try them. And Amy P., I'm in a small town in Florida right on the Georgia border.
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