Beans Continued

So, I made my third batch of beans from scratch. I made pintos and they're rather bland. I just don't remember to add the salt until they're completely cooked and then if I add it (still haven't found the right amount!) when they're done I risk mushing up the beans. (Which is why you're not supposed to stir beans while they're cooking - the skins break off and they resemble more of a mush. I learned this the hard way with lentils.) Anyway, they're still perfectly edible. We just haven't had beans in awhile. I realized that I'm going to have to do something with them so they don't go bad. Which made me think of ways of preserving beans once they've been cooked.

I have thought about just canning the darn beans so I don't have to cook them all day. It's not that big a deal to cook them all day, but cans are just so much easier! The USDA does not recommend canning beans in a bath canner. They must be done in a pressure cooker. Here's the USDA recipe. I'm sure plain bean juice can be used instead if you want to have plain beans.

I also found a site that talks about freezing cooked beans, which is the route I'm going to take with this batch:

Speedy Pre-Soak

2 C dried beans (any variety)

6 C water

Wash and pick through the beans. Place beans and water in a large pan, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 or 3 minutes, stir, remove from heat, cover and let set for 1 hour. Drain, rinse, package, label and freeze.

My in-laws canned beans using dry beans and water and processing them in the pressure canner. It took a few tries to find the right ratio of beans and water. But, I think the results aren't as predictable as I'd like, so I think I'll try canning them when they're cooked. Oooh! Another canning project! :-)

Thanks, Karen, for your comment which prompted my bean search!