We use beans a lot around here - they are a healthy cheap food that can be used no matter what the season - soups in the winter or salads in the summer. I used to only use canned beans - .40 cents or so for a can still seemed pretty cheap to me and I would never remember to soak dry beans even if I did buy them (probably out of guilt ;-).
Which is why it was a revelation when I read somewhere awhile ago that YOU DON'T HAVE TO SOAK THEM. Yes...I really did just write that - will the bean police track me down?
Now, from what I read, the reason soaking became THE way to cook beans was because they take longer to cook if you don't soak, and some chef's like the texture better soaked (personally, I can't tell a difference).
So, I did some experimenting. I cooked them by just throwing some dry beans in a pot with water and they cooked in about 1 hour and 15 min. Soaked beans for me usually took 45 min to one hour, so that seemed not too much longer.
Then I wanted to figure out how to have them on hand in convenient sizes when I wanted them, like cans. So I tried putting them in pint and quart size freezer containers, covering them with a little fresh water and freezing. It worked! They needed to be defrosted, but when I didn't remember to get them out the microwave gets them started.
The clincher came when I did the math.
This picture represents 18 (15.5oz) cans of Great Northern and Garbanzo Beans. On my last trip to WinCo (a bag-your-own discount chain), their store brand beans were .62 cents a can (yes, they've gone up!), making my 18 "cans" worth $11.16 I paid 1.84 for 2.22 pounds of the Great Northern at .83/lb and 1.59 for 2.56 pounds of Garbanzos at .62/lb. making my total cost $3.43 (or about .19 for an amount equal to one can).
I saved $7.73!! And it took about 10 minutes of my time, making it a great return on my money. This really makes sense on beans, because they don't often have great coupons for the cans and they are really a staple item. So if you can't find beans at less than .19/can, please try this method - it's really easy!
Oregon Cottage Better-Than-Canned Beans
1. Put any amount of dried beans in a stock pot (no soaking necessary), covering with double the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat to keep beans at a simmer for about 1 hour and 15 min. Do a taste test to see if they are done to your liking, they should be soft enough to eat, but relatively firm - don't let them get soft.
2. Drain beans in a colander.
3. Divide into freezer containers, leaving 1 inch head space.
4. Fill with cold, fresh water to just above the beans. There should still be 1 to 3/4-inch space to allow for expansion in the freezer.
5. Label (just use a piece of masking tape on each lid and write with a permanent marker) with the date and type of bean.
6. Place in the freezer. They keep for many months this way!
-Jami
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