Rathje studied what happens when people buy novel foods

[TreadSoftly]

It's a different time now, with the internet and all, but the run on beans made me think of Wm Rathje studies . He was a professor of archaeology (the anthropology not the classical kind) in 70s Arizona. He got permission to study the garbage. During that time:

As I remember, there was a giant crisis with the prices & supply of beef. What was reflected in the trash? Thrown out meat! The academic conclusion was that people bought different cuts and they didn't understand how to prepare them with any culinary success.

Waiting for all those bean laments i.e. not knowing about soaking....time for all you DUers to advise us on your favorite bean-soak advice.

[JCMach1]

1. I mostly bought lentils and have a Dutch Oven

But then again, I was born and raised in the country.

The real one, not the fake one they sing about in music.

[Tikki]

2. When I was attending University I learned how to cut up a whole chicken for frying.

This was before the internet. A neighbor showed me how.

I, also, learned how to fry noodles.

I don't fry food often any more.

Tikki

[Mossfern]

3. I cover my beans

with water about an inch or so higher than the dried beans, and then cover them so the cats won't drink the 'delicious bean water' and let them soak for eight hours or overnight. Then I pour the beans into a colander and rinse them well. Put them in a pot with water to cover and salt and any seasoning that I may want in them and bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer until they're at the consistency that I like.

I usually sautee some onion and garlic - actually a bunch of onion and garlic and put the parboiled beans into the pot and simmer until the beans are mushy - we like them that way- sort of a non fried refried beans. I make some short grained brown rice to go with it and sauteed veggies too.

It's always been my go-to dinner, however I usually used canned beans - dark red kidney and pinto.

[blogslut]

4. Speaking of soaking... 🌱

Don't forget sprouting! I can grow a Mason jar of sprouts in 4 days with a finger-full of small legumes.

[Hortensis]

11. Yes! Mine tend to get bitter before they gain any real size,

even though I keep them in the dark, so I usually throw them in salads, etc., after 3 days, but can be as early as next day. The beans and sprouts are both nicely soft and crunchy. Almost any bean can be sprouted. I usually do mung because they're readily available to me.

[blogslut]

13. I do mung beans mixed with lentils

I've even added some dried chickpeas from time to time

[Hortensis]

14. Um. Funny, I had just read chickpeas don't have to be cooked,

can be eaten raw after soaking. My response then, "who knew"?

If not just serving the sprouts on top of stuff, I tend to toss them, and perhaps other veggies, with some or all of the typical garlic, green onion, sesame oil, red pepper, soy, rice vinegar, etc.

In any case, sprouting is a great thing for a lot of people to try with some of their beans. So easy the trick would be to keep them from sprouting.

[blogslut]

15. It's also a cool project for the kids.

Growing some sprouts would give them something productive and educational to do.

[Hortensis]

17. Snack while learning. Plus, as finger foods go, I'd think

sprouts would definitely be better than many others.

[aikoaiko]

5. Instapot for the fast win.

[MissB]

16. Yep! Tasty black beans from dry to perfect in 32

minutes of pressure cooking (plus natural release time). I throw in a bay leaf too.

[hlthe2b]

6. If you use an instant pot or other pressure cooker, no soaking needed.

Garlic has anti-cancer and some virucidal properties (albeit "in-vitro" ) Onions too, to some extend.

So, add them to your beans. It can't hurt.

EXCEPT FOR THE PETS> Onions, garlic, leeks, are highly toxic to dogs and cats, whether raw, cooked, or powdered. SO keep it for yourself.

[tanyev]

7. I just posted on another thread my skepticism about the fate of many of the bags of beans.

I’m fairly competent in the kitchen, but I always get canned beans if I need some for a recipe. Maybe people who now have a lot more time on their hands will become bean maestros, but I’ll stick to canned for my modest bean requirements.

[MyNameGoesHere]

8. I make all kinds of stock

So I usually cover by an inch, let soak overnight, use the rest of the stock/water for the cooking. Don't use canned beans ever. Today Frijoles Rojas con Arroz with a goose stock lol.

[CrispyQ]

9. I love my pressure cooker.

Super soft beans. Even garbanzos.

Soaking beans can help reduce the gas factor. Sort through the beans and toss bad ones out. Cover with water and soak over night or 8 hours. Drain the water off and cook the beans in fresh water or broth.

Scroll down for pressure cooker cooking times for beans.

https://fastcooking.ca/pressure_cookers/cooking_times_pressure_cooker.php

[maxrandb]

10. Our daughter, a vegetarian, invited us over for vegetable chili one night

We showed up around 5 PM. She was busy at the stove and told us dinner might be a little late.
She said she bought dry beans instead of canned.

I asked when she started cooking them. She said around 4 PM.

So, after several board games, we finally sat down around 9PM for some very crunchy, but tasty chili

[Hortensis]

12. Larger beans do best soaked overnight in salted water.

That infuses the beans with water, which then allows the insides and outsides to cook at pretty much the same temperature for the same time. Rinse well after soaking, then cover with cold salted water to cook. They get evenly done without having to cook the outsides mushy before the insides are finally done, and you get a pot of good-looking, whole beans without splitting.

Some smaller, more tender or recently harvested beans don't need that.

Or so I've read, and my beans have come out beautiful ever since.

A long time ago I also read an explanation by a pair of scientists that the way to avoid gas with beans is to get the colon accustomed to digesting them by eating them more often. What better time to get at that than when the family's all locked up together with bags of beans.