Step 1: Buy some beans!
Determine how much you need to store. The Church recommends 5 pounds/person/month. That makes 60 pounds per year, or 300 pounds for a family of five.
Buy the dry version of beans you already use—pintos or black beans for tacos, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) for hummus and falafel, kidney beans for soups and casseroles….
Step 2: Cook some beans!
Decide how many you want—they will double or triple in volume when cooked.
Spread them out on a cookie sheet and pick out shriveled or broken beans. Rocks also don’t taste good!
Rinse them off and get ready to cook. ***NOTE: Soaking does not dramatically increase cooking times for beans unless they are ancient, nor does it reduce the amount of gas-producing enzymes in your beans. If you have trouble digesting beans, eat more of them! Your body will adjust, and thank you for it!***
Now choose a method:
On the stove: Put your beans in a pot and cover with a couple of inches of water; salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. They’ll be ready to eat in 1.5-2.5 hours, depending on the type of beans and their age.
In the crockpot: Cover with water and salt to taste. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low overnight.
In your pressure canner: For pints, place ½ c beans and ½ t salt in each jar. Add water to fill line and process at 10 lbs pressure for 75 minutes. For quarts, place 1 c beans and 1 t salt in each jar. Add water to fill line and process at 10 lbs pressure for 90 minutes.
Step 3: Try some recipes!
HUMMUS
2 cans, or 4 c garbanzo beans 1 t cumin
¼ c tahini dash cayenne pepper
¼ c lemon juice ¼ c olive oil
2 t minced garlic warm water as needed
Blend through cayenne until smooth. Add oil, then water as needed until creamy. Use as sandwich spread or dip for fresh veggies.
BLACK BEAN BURGERS from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
2 c or 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed ½ c oatmeal
1 egg 1 medium onion
1 T chili powder or other seasoning
Chop onion in food processor, then add remaining ingredients. Process until combined but not pureed Scoop 1/3 c portions onto heated, oiled frying pan and flatten into patty shape with rubber spatula. Cook until brown and firm on both sides. Serve like your favorite burger.
MOROCCAN SPICED BEAN AND LENTIL SOUP
1 onion, chopped 1 can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced 1 c diced carrots
1 t grated fresh ginger ½ c chopped celery
6 c water 1 t garam masala
1 c lentils 1 ½ t ground cardamom
1 can garbanzo beans ½ t cayenne pepper (optional)
1 can cannellini or kidney beans ½ t ground cumin
salt to taste
Saute onion, garlic and ginger in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer, partially covered, 20-30 minutes until lentils are soft. Puree a portion of the soup with an immersion blender.
HEATHER JOHNSON’S LENTIL SOUP
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed 3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (or 2 cans diced tomatoes)
6 cups chicken broth 2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups chopped onion ½ t dried thyme
1 garlic clove, minced ¼ t dried marjoram
1 T avocado oil (or other high-heat oil)
In a large saucepan, bring lentils and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil; add to saucepan. Add the tomatoes, carrots, thyme and marjoram. Cook 30 minutes longer or until lentils and vegetables are tender. Yield: about 8 servings
REFRIED BEANS adapted from Joy of Cooking
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups (2 cans) pinto beans, partially drained
Saute onion in vegetable oil over medium high heat until brown. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add beans to warm. Puree in food processor or mash with a fork, adding liquid as needed and salt to taste.
BLACK BEAN BROWNIES
from chocolatecoveredkatie.com
1 ½ c black beans 1/3 c maple syrup or honey OR 2 T sugar
1 T cocoa powder ¼ c coconut or vegetable oil
½ c quick oats 2 t vanilla
¼ t salt ½ to 2/3 c chocolate chips
½ t baking powder more chocolate chips for presentation (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor.) Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. If they still look a bit undercooked, you can place them in the fridge overnight and they will magically firm up! Makes 9-12 brownies.
I cut these into 8 pie slices and served.
