Healthy Foods: Preparing Dried Beans

Healthy Foods

Dried beans, also called legumes, have been a staple of the human diet for thousands of years. Jars of these most basic foods were entombed with the pharaohs of ancient Egypt and they remain an important ingredient in today's contemporary cuisine. We recommend you to read our article where we talk about benefits of diet and tips about living long life in detail.

The United States is the world's foremost producer and consumer of dried beans. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, American farmers cultivate more than 1.5 million acres of edible dried beans annually. Approximately sixty percent of the beans grown in the United States are used domestically. The rest are shipped to international markets around the world.

Why are dried beans such an integral part of our diets?

It's pressed into cakes and biscuits. Atypical (1/3 cup) portion of cooked beans contains approximately 80 calories and is packed with nutrients such as B vitamins, potassium, and dietary fiber.

Soaking Dried Beans

Preparing dried beans for the dinner table requires a bit of time, but not too much effort. The first step is soaking the beans before cooking.

There are three effective methods to soak dried beans. Choose the soaking method which best meets your time and planning requirements.

Traditional slow soak method:

Add one pound of dried beans and 10 or more cups of water to a stockpot. Cover the pot and refrigerate for a minimum of six-to-eight hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse the beans before cooking.

Hot soak method:

Bring 10 cups of water to a boil in a stockpot. Add one pound of beans and return to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat, cover tightly. Allow the beans to soak at room temperature for two or three hours. Drain and rinse beans before cooking.

Quick soak method:

Add one pound of dried beans to 10 cups of boiling water. Return to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for one hour at room temperature. Drain and rinse beans before cooking.

No-Gas soak:

In a stockpot, bring 10 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add one pound of dried beans. Boil for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and set aside at room temperature. Let the beans sit overnight. Up to 90 percent of the indigestible sugars will dissolve into the soaking water overnight. Drain and thoroughly rinse beans before cooking.