Hydrating Dried Beans

It's easy and the result is almost as good as a fresh bean.

About this recipe

For as long as I can remember, I always used canned beans whenever fresh beans were not available, and for me that was most of the time.  A few years ago, I learned from a television food program about dried beans, and how easy it is to reconstitute them (i.e., hydrated them).  Not all beans are available in dried form, of course, but when dried beans is one of my options, they are my preferred choice every time.

Ingredients

  • dried beans

Directions

  • Soak the dried beans in cold water overnight, using two to three times the volume of water as beans, and then drain.
  • Add clean, cold water (three times as much as the beans by volume) and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until just tender.  The time will vary with the beans’ age and variety.
  • Drain and rinse with cold water.  The hydrated beans can be stored in a covered container filled with water in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks, but it is advisable to drain and refresh the salted water once a week.
  • The cooking time for garbanzo beans is usually 45 - 50 minutes.

Notes

  • Do not add salt or acidic ingredients (e.g., lemon juice) during the first  30 minutes of the cooking process or the skins may become tough.  A half teaspoon of kosher salt can be added during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
  • Add a half teaspoon of kosher salt to the beans and water when refrigerating.
Posted: February 2014.