Beans: dry vs. canned?

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I use both. If I'm making a flavored bean dish, like baked beans, I use dried beans so that I can control the flavor and texture. If I'm making chili, I use canned pinto and dark kidney beans, as it's so much more convenient, and the other flavors marry well with the canned beans.

Often, it depends on how much time is available to me. I've been known to doctor a can of VanCamp's Pork & beans to make a stove-top baked beans that tastes pretty darned good. Now the baked beans made from dried is superior, IMHO, but it takes more time.

For three bean salad, I use canned. Again, once rinsed, and made into my recipe, the other aromatics, and flavors work well with the canned beans.

With lentils, dried peas, and split peas, I always use dried. I normally use my pressure cooker to speed the cooking process. I always use salted water with dried legumes.

If we're talking fresh green or wax beans, or any kind of peas that have been picked fresh, I steam, or stir-fry them.

Beans are up there with blueberries and apple pie as part of favorite food folder.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Cheryl J]

Mostly canned for me. As someone else said...might have been bucky, I usually also get rid of that oooey gooey liquid from the can. I eat a lot of salads and like to add a rinsed and drained can of beans to my salads. My faves are cannelini, kidneys, and black beans.

If I'm using them in a dish like chili, I drain most of the liquid they are canned in and add my own sauce.

 

[buckytom]

Beans are up there with blueberries and apple pie as part of favorite food folder.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

f as in "favorite food folder"comes before g.





as in good god, goodweed's got gas again.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

f as in "favorite food folder"comes before g.





as in good god, goodweed's got gas again.

Is that Goodweed or Goodwind?

 

[CraigC]

Is that Goodweed or Goodwind?

Could be Mal-Airia.

 

[mmyap]

I like to have both dried and canned. I like canned chickpeas for salads and I'll keep a can of black or pinto beans for last minute sides or chili type dishes.

Certain beans I like to have don't come canned. Anasazi beans for instance. I like to use those for red beans and rice. Well, okay...pink beans and rice. =0)

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

f as in "favorite food folder"comes before g.





as in good god, goodweed's got gas again.

Fortunately for humanity, neither GW, nor Chief Longwind suffer from flatulence after eating beans. Comes from a lifetime of eating them, and having the natural flora in my gut. You can ask my kids. It's not an issue. Too many fresh blueberries on the other hand...

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Zagut]

Fortunately for humanity, neither GW, nor Chief Longwind suffer from flatulence Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Ya see folks. Dreams really do come true.

 

[creative]

I really like butter beans and to cook them from dried would take ages. Canned ones are fine by me. I like to make them into a hummus (instead of chick peas which I also like but not as much). They also make a nice substitute for mash.

 

[Mad Cook]

I'm usually cooking for one so I almost always use canned because they are easier, except when making hummous because I think it tastes better when the chick peas (garbanzos) are cooked for the dish rather than when canned ones are used.

Occasionally a recipe calls for the soaked beans to be cooked with the ingredients of the dish so I'd not use canned then.

Incidentally, with the sole exception of one recipe which I haven't tried, I have never come across a recipe that required you to put the dried beans, unsoaked in with the rest of the ingredients. Unless the recipe states categorically that you should do this, it's always better to soak them. It saves both time and fuel in cooking. I tend to soak overnight because that suits me but with most beans you can bring them to the boil and leave them for an hour or so to soften. (I find that this method doesn't work well with soya beans which need to be soaked from cold and can take forever!)

When the soaking is finished, throw away the soaking water and cook in fresh water. This avoids the less anti-social effects of eating beans, if you know what I mean.

You can freeze the cooked beans if it suits you to boil/simmer more than you need fro one meal and this is more economical than just cooking enough for one or two people.

And if I have time to plan I cook my soaked dries beans in the slow cooker. I have used the pressure cooker but if you aren't careful with the timing they can go to mus before you have chance to turn round.

Durr! I meant "....MORE anti-social effects of eating beans...."!!!

 

[creative]

Durr! I meant "....MORE anti-social effects of eating beans...."!!!

..........brings to mind the campfire baked beans part in Blazing Saddles....

 

[mattdee1]

Thanks for the responses, everybody.

I think I'm just going to have to try making beans from dry for once. The idea of making lots and freezing them makes the idea more attractive, for sure. Great pro tip!

When using frozen beans, is it recommended to let them thaw first, or can I just toss the bean block into the pan?

 

[Steve Kroll]

When using frozen beans, is it recommended to let them thaw first, or can I just toss the bean block into the pan?

I've done both. It's usually better if they are at least partially thawed, but I've also thrown frozen "bean bricks" into a pot before. Regardless, just add a little water (or broth) when cooking from frozen. For some reason they always seem to thicken up a bit and lose some moisture.

 

[Stock Pot]

Dried beans

I prefer to cook my own dried beans, except if I'm pinched for time. My usual method is to rinse, cover with salted water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let them sit for an hour or two. Pour that water out through a colander and rinse again. Cover with water again (no salt this time) and pressure cook for 6 - 10 minutes, depending on the type of bean. Quick release the steam, pour through the colander and rinse again. Adding salt to the initial boil and soak keeps the skins tender. I have no problems with flatulence with this method either and the beans taste great.

 

[Stock Pot]

Also, I add a 1/2 TBS of cooking oil to the water when pressure cooking to keep the frothing down.

 

[CWS4322]

Thanks for the responses, everybody.

I think I'm just going to have to try making beans from dry for once. The idea of making lots and freezing them makes the idea more attractive, for sure. Great pro tip!

When using frozen beans, is it recommended to let them thaw first, or can I just toss the bean block into the pan?

I freeze the beans on cookie sheets and then pack them into zippies--that way, they are pretty much separated so I can grab a handful to put in a container to take for lunch at my clients' sites. By the time I'm ready to eat my tossed salad, the beans are thawed and I can mix them in (I put my salad in the clients' lunchroom fridges when I'm there).For soups, etc., I just dump a bunch of bean in--sometimes they are frozen together, but not as a brick.

 

[sparrowgrass]

I got a hankering for pintos the other night, but when I looked at the bag of beans, there was some movement in there
. Got to checking and every bag of beans/grain in the pantry had bugs.

Sometimes cans are better.

 

[Dawgluver]

Ewwww. Thanks for the headsup, Sparrowgrass!

 

[Addie]

I just recently bought some barley for lamb stew, but I am going to check and get them into the freezer until I need them. Thanks!

 

[Zagut]

I got a hankering for pintos the other night, but when I looked at the bag of beans, there was some movement in there
. Got to checking and every bag of beans/grain in the pantry had bugs.

Sometimes cans are better.

Hmmmm... Free protein.


I do lot's of dried beans because I can control what's added and they are cheaper.

Haven't had sparrowgrass's problem but if I did then canned beans would move up on the list.

Canned is the way to go for convenience and lack of time.

Dried is the way to go for experimentation and personalization of taste.

CWS, I think your method of freezing is great and I'm going to start using it. Thanks. Sometimes something so simple is not seen. I'm tired of the "Block" of beans and a sheet pan looks to be the answer.

As far as flatulence and beans goes. Don't notice any difference between discarding the soaking water or using it.

But here we are all music lovers so nobody mines Bean Songs.