Grandpappy's Basic Recipes
A Collection of
Simple Bean Recipes
Copyright © 1976,2013 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
All Rights Reserved.
Dry Beans
Sorting and Rinsing: Look through your dry beans and remove any small foreign particles such as tiny sticks, stones, or other debris. Rinse the dry beans thoroughly and discard the rinse water.
Soaking or Hydrating: Do not soak lentils, split peas, black-eyed peas, or mung beans.
For each cup of dry beans add 2 or 3 cups of water. If fresh water is easily available then use three cups of water per cup of dry beans. However, if fresh water is not readily available then you may use two cups of water per cup of dry beans. The advantage of the extra water is that the extra water can more easily and quickly absorb the undesirable chemicals from the beans.
Soak the beans overnight (between 8 to 14 hours) in a cool place. Drain the beans and discard the soak water. The soak water will contain undesirable chemicals that have been leeched out of the beans. The soak water will also contain a small quantity of healthy nutrients but those nutrients will be mixed in with undesirable chemicals. Therefore the soak water should be discarded for health and safety reasons.
Cooking: If beans are not thoroughly cooked then they are more difficult to chew and digest, and they will generate more gas during the digestive process.
Toxin Neutralization: In order to neutralize any minor amounts of toxins that may still be present in the beans after soaking, bring the beans in the cook pot to a boil and boil them for ten minutes. Then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Optional Seasonings During Cooking: Thinly sliced strips of meat (beef or ham or pork or bacon), or chopped onions, or chopped celery may be added while the beans are simmering. This will allow the beans to fully absorb these flavors while they are cooking.
Do not add salt or acids (tomatoes, catsup, wine, or vinegar) to the beans while they are cooking. These items slow down the cooking and softening process. Add salt and acids (tomatoes or catsup) after the beans are fully cooked.
Slow Cooking (recommended): Put a lid or cover on the cook pot. The slower the beans are cooked the easier it is for the human body to digest them. Slowly simmering the beans over very low heat for between 3 to 8 hours is ideal.
Fast Cooking: The minimum cooking time for beans over medium heat is 60 to 90 minutes. Soybeans should be cooked for three hours.
Additional Water: To prevent scorching you may need to add water to the beans as they cook because some of the water will be absorbed into the beans and some of the water will evaporate due to the heat. Do not add cool water or cold water to the beans while they are cooking because the cool water shock will toughen the beans and they will require a longer cooking time and the beans will be a little harder to digest. Instead heat the extra water in a separate cook pot and then add the hot water to the bean pot.
Maximum Cooking Temperature: Do not cook beans at a temperature higher than 167 degrees Fahrenheit (or 75 degrees C).
Cooked Bean Test: When the bean is soft and it can be easily mashed with a fork using just a little pressure, then the bean is done.
Optional Seasonings After Cooking: After the beans are fully cooked then you may add salt, tomatoes, wine, or vinegar or any other acidic ingredient. Then simmer the beans over very low heat for a short period of time to give the beans a chance to absorb the new flavors.
Refried Beans
| 1 can pinto beans | 2 tbsp. oil | 1 tsp. onion powder |
Heat oil and add the onion powder. Add the cooked pinto beans. Mash the beans with the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher. Simmer for 6 minutes over low heat. May be eaten as a side dish or mixed half-and-half with ground meat as a filling for tacos or burritos or stuffed peppers.
Grandpappy's e-mail address is: RobertWayneAtkins@hotmail.com