Oh Beans....!!!!

I have had many questions about beans. In general we are unsure of soaking and cooking our beans. I was there not that long ago. But today I am soaking, sprouting, and cooking beans almost daily.

There is a method to my madness which I will share with you here today.

First, I love to have my beans slightly sprouted. This releases so much more of the nutritional value in the bean. Sprouting anything is so much better than soaking and cooking! So, to begin...

SOAKING: First, I measure my beans into a glass jar. I have found a couple of jars that I really like, but any glass jar will work as long as it has room enough to hold your beans once they have expanded and it has a lid that can be loosely fitted. Here are mine:

The one on the left is really large. I can soak 3 to 4 cups of dry beans at a time in this one. The one on the right I can soak 2 cups of dry beans but it fills clear to the top as they expand. This jar has a snap on lid. NEVER SNAP THE LID SHUT when soaking beans. It will EXPLODE when you try to open it the next day! I cover this jar with plastic wrap or with one of those plastic dish caps that have elastic around it. This works well for me.

Beans expand 3 times when they are soaked. So to soak 1 cup of dry beans, you add 3 cups of water to the beans. For 2 cups dry beans you add 6 cups of water.  I have 2 cups of white beans soaking now. They are in the same jar as the one on the left:

They are white beans an hard to see.  But as they soak they will expand to at least the water line.

I get my beans lined up for the week and start my soaking Saturday. The above is my first batch of the week. I will let it soak overnight. In the morning, I will rinse it with water by holding my hand or a flat strainer over the top of the jar and dumping out the water. Then I will fill with water, swish it around, and dump again.

SPROUTING: They are ready to cook at this point, but I like to sprout, so I will leave the beans to sit again overnight. They are damp, but no water is in the jar. Lightly cover them or they will dry out.

The sprouting will take at least on, maybe two days. I don't like mine to have a large sprout, just a tiny little tail sticking out from the bean. This is really fun. I love to get up in the morning and see my sprouted beans! I feel like I have accomplished something before I even start my day!

Rinse your beans every single day while they are sprouting or they will go bad. Just a quick rinse is all it takes. Fill the jar with water, swirl it a bit, and drain. This will keep them fresh and continuing to develop that yummy nutrition!

When you see the little tails, either begin to cook or put them in the refrigerator. The fridge will slow the sprouting process and keep them ready to be cooked for up to 2 weeks. I try not to let mine go past 1 week, though that is even rare. I usually cook as soon as they are sprouted.

COOKING: To cook I simply dump them in my crock pot and cover with water so the water is 1 inch above the beans. I like to start cooking first thing in the morning because then they are warm and ready for the dinner I am preparing. Fresh warm beans are the very best tasting. I do cook overnight and store them in the fridge for the following day sometimes. Then I just rewarm them for dinner. They are yummy like this, but I really prefer them directly from cooking.

BATCHES: If I have a slower week and can take the time, I will soak and cook every day. Then I freeze my beans once they are cooked in 2 cup containers. That way, if I need beans in a rush and haven't had time to cook, I can retrieve them from the freezer in a blink and am ready to go. When doing this, my schedule would look like the following:

Monday: Start soaking batch 1

Tuesday: Soak batch 2; Sprout batch 1

Wednesday: Soak batch 3; Sprout batch 2; Cook batch 1 - freeze batch 1

Thursday: Soak batch 4; Sprout batch 3; Cook batch 2 - freeze batch 2

Friday: Sprout batch 4; Cook batch 3 - freeze batch 3

Saturday: Cook batch 4 - freeze batch 4

Then I have 8 - 2 Cup containers of beans in my freezer.

I use different beans to soak and cook. I have my pantry set up so I can see my beans. They are so colorful and I want my meals to be the same way. I don't want to eat the same beans all week long. That gets really boring. So I always try to use different colors, different beans. Same with my rice. There are so many colors and varieties to choose from,

I do not want to get bored with my food or I won't enjoy eating this way any more. It has to be yummy and colorful! We only eat meat about 2 to 3 times a week, if that. Meat is expensive and we get all our nutrition PLUS fiber from the beans, so we are actually much better off.

THRIVE has a great variety of beans. They even have instant beans so all you have to do is add to your dish and you are ready to go! Check them out at www.AmyBray.ShelfReliance.com!

THRIVE foods are delicious! Why not host a cooking demo and see for yourself? These are so fun and the food is so good. I would love to show you just how wonderful they taste and how easy they are to use every day! And the nutrition can't be beat - even by fresh foods!!