Cooking Beans

Goop

Below are a few bean-based dishes we’ve cooked up lately plus some helpful tips on cooking with beans. Logistics 1 cup of dry beans should be cooked in about 3 cups of water. 1 cup of dry beans yields about 2-3 cups cooked. If beans require soaking, do so in cold water for 4-12 hours (generally, the bigger the bean the longer the soak time). If you don’t have time to soak, cover beans with 2 inches of water and boil for 2 minutes. Tips Rinse and sort: Whether you're using dried or canned beans, rinsing the beans before you cook or use them is a good idea. If you’re using dried beans, be sure to sift through to make sure any shriveled beans or small stones are removed. Boil then simmer: Always drop beans into boiling water, then immediately bring down to a simmer. Cook with kombu: A staple in macrobiotic cooking and used to add flavor to broths in Japanese cooking, kombu (sold in dried strips at health food stores or Asian supermarkets) contains an enzyme that can help us digest beans. Also, adding a drop of vinegar or lemon to beans once they’re cooked can help with digestion (and adds flavor). Cook clean: Wait to add your salt or acid (vinegar or lemon) until after the beans are cooked. Adding them to the water while they’re cooking can delay the process. BPA-free: If you’re using canned, try to find cans that are BPA-free. Eden Organic is a great go-to option and they prepare their beans with kombu. More