Best Beans Ever

This is the basic recipe for preparing dried beans such as black, pinto, adzuki, garbanzo, lima, and others. Be sure that you buy organic beans.

Directions

Wash the beans very well, and pick them over to get rid of debris and any discolored or broken beans. Cover the beans with several inches of water and soak them for at least 8 hours, or overnight. The longer the soaking time, the shorter the cooking time. The water may be changed if desired. Discard the soaking water when ready to cook.

Cover the beans with about 3 inches of water, cook until tender, generally 1-1½ hours. Salt, herbs and flavorings may be added toward the end of cooking. A square of kombu seaweed in the pot will add both flavor and minerals. Some herbs that help the digestion of beans include bay leaf, cumin, and winter or summer savory. Beano® is an enzymatic product that when eaten with beans, helps with digestion.

Quick-Soak Method: When time is limited, put the beans into a pot with water to cover by 3 inches. Boil for 10 minutes to remove toxins, then cover and allow to soak for 1 hour. Discard water, add fresh water, and cook as above until tender.

To pressure-cook beans you can soak the beans, use the quick-soak method, or forego soaking altogether. Put the beans in the pressure cooker with 3 times as much water as beans. Cook soaked beans for 5-10 minutes, unsoaked small beans for 30 minutes, and unsoaked large beans about 40 minutes.

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