I know many of you Budget Byters already cook your own beans but I wanted to make this post for all of the newbies out there. Beans are one of the most economical and nutritious foods available so I try to use them in recipes as often as possible. Canned beans are quick and convenient but with a little planning ahead, dry beans can be just as easy and HALF the cost of canned.
Many people (including myself) shy away from cooking dry beans because it seems like such a daunting chore with the overnight soaking and hours of cooking. What I’ve discovered is that cooking beans can be as easy as “setting it and forgetting it” and, thanks to Kalyn’s recent post, I now know that presoaking is not even necessary! If you cook a large batch, the beans can be divided up into two cup containers, frozen and then pulled out of the freezer as needed. Taking frozen beans out of the freezer is just as convenient as opening up a can!
Last night, I cooked up a batch of black beans for today’s soup. The final cost for one can equivalent of dry beans was $0.40 cents. Compare that to a store bought can which usually runs me about $0.79 and I’ve cut the cost in half. Plus, I’ve eliminated salt, preservatives and a lot of wasted packaging. Have I convinced you yet?
*NOTE* This method is not advised for kidney beans or beans in the kidney bean family (like white kidney beans or cannellini) because they contain a naturally occurring substance called Phytohaemagglutnin, which can be toxic to humans and cause severe GI distress. The beans must be cooked in a full boil for at least ten minutes to break down this substance, and most slow cookers do not achieve this level of heat.
How to Kick the Can (of beans)
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Here is how it’s done:
STEP 1: Pour one pound (or two for an extra large batch) of beans out onto a baking sheet and sort through to remove any stones or debris. Transfer the beans to a colander to rinse off any dust.
STEP 2: Place the cleaned and sorted beans in a slow cooker and add 6 cups of water for every pound of beans. Put the lid on, set the cooker to HIGH and let her go. Beans that have not been presoaked will take 4-6 hours to cook on HIGH.
STEP 3: Once the beans are tender, pour them into a colander and give them a quick rinse. Divide the beans into containers (re-sealable or zip top freezer bags), label, date and freeze until ready to use! Easy as that.
One pound of dry beans will yield about 6 cups of cooked beans, equal to about 3 cans.
The hands-on time to make these beans was only about 15 minutes. Once they were cleaned and sorted, they go straight into the pot and then I didn’t have to do ANYTHING until I checked them four hours later. Then it’s just a quick drain, rinse and pack into containers.
You can cook beans on the stove top if you don’t have a slow cooker although it takes more attention and care. Just place them in a large pot with a lid (same water/bean ratio), bring it up to a boil then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer until tender. Do not let the beans boil heavily or else the delicate skins will disintegrate and you’ll be left with nothing but bean fragments.
If you have any tips, tricks or notable experiences cooking dry beans, share them in the comments section below!
…the black bean soup recipe should be posted later tonight ;)
I’ve been using this method for years, and I honestly think these beans are superior to the canned variety.
But am I the only person who freezes the liquor too, not draining it off? There are so many dishes where the liquid serves as a good binding agent. I’m in Ireland and haven’t grown up in a culture where black beans are a staple: am I completely alone in doing this?
Does this work with gigante beans? I’m guessing it would take longer?
This exact method would not work for gigante beans, but they can be done in the slow cooker! Unsoaked gigante beans would likely take closer to 12 hours to cook. Soaked you could probably do in 6-8 but we haven’t tested that to be certain!
Also, can you cook a 12-bean mix in the slow cooker the same way?
Just make sure there aren’t any kidney beans or cannellini beans in the mix!
Do you need to use distilled water or is tap water OK?
I just use tap water, but you may get different results depending on the chemistry and mineral content of your tap water. :)
The cost of a can of beans, even store brand, is well over $1.50 currently, so this process is even more of a money saver. Would this work for dried chick peans?
Yes! xoxo -Monti
Great post and should be linked to in every recipe that calls for canned beans. “eliminated salt, preservatives and a lot of wasted packaging.”, you can stop at eliminated salt and I’m all in. If you’re not doing it by batches then the storage requirement is far less than keeping cans on the shelf. If I have multiple meals planned for the week I’ll store for up to a week in the cooking liquid and oil in the refrigerator.
I use my rice cooker for re hydrating beans. I start with a 2-4 hour pre-soak on “warm”. I’ve played with different settings but “brown rice” on my Instant Pot Zest seems to work well for most beans. Kidney beans are the hardest because as noted “the delicate skins will disintegrate”. A shorter cycle like “white rice” seems better. I’ve had hit and miss luck with re hydrating beans in our Instant Pot pressure cooker. One thing I’ve learned is NEVER use quick release because the sudden change in pressure breaks all the skins. Likewise with the rice cooker you want to let it cool naturally to avoid breaking the skin. That said, I have found a few recipes that let you add dried beans in the Instant Pot at the beginning of the cycle and they’ve come out great. The ultimate in easy! But that only works for long cook times of close to an hour or more. NO SALT==NO CANS… Live by it!
Does a pressure cooker correctly process kidney beans?
According to this article, the high temperature and pressure inside of a pressure cooker is enough to destroy the phytohemagglutinin, which is what I would have expected because the temperature is actually higher than what it would cook at if boiling on the stove top.
If you cook beans from scratch, a tip: don’t pour the final ‘bean/legume broth’ (the water in which beans are cooked) down the drain!! It’s a perfectly usable, delicious broth! Chickpea broth is similar to chicken broth and can be used pretty much anywhere, black bean broth is perfect for chilis, pinto bean broth for minestrone, etc. Depending on the type of legume and duration of cooking, the broth will have some starch from the beans in it. You can strain it if you want a clear, non-thickening broth or keep it as it is if you want a thickener for stews, chilis, etc.
Also, if you have a piece of parmesan rind, put it to cook with the beans! It makes the broth tastier. I also usually add a bay leaf and a sprig of rosemary, and some black pepper.
This can also be an easy, tasty ‘no onion no garlic’ broth if you don’t use any onion or garlic with the beans.
And I forgot, it can be frozen just like regular broth! If you make about a lb of legumes you will have about 2-3 cups of free bean broth from it.
Nice tip. And to think I’ve been pouring it down the drain and using powdered chicken stock… doh, head slap. We keep veggie trimmings to make stock but that’s a long process and usually only make enough to do something like a big batch of split pea soup that we are going to freeze for lunches after the main meal. The starch will be great for making gravy… mmm, gravy ;-) Yet another great reason to kick the can. “If you make about a lb of legumes you will have about 2-3 cups of free bean broth” & free is a very good price.
Best info on how to cook beans for best flavor and texture (Spoiler alert-in the oven!): https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-dont-soak-dried-beans-20140911-story.html#page=1
Hi
I’m new to cooking & eating beans. What other beans can I use instead of black beans please?
You could try it with pinto or black eyed peas. This method is not advised for kidney beans or beans in the kidney bean family (like white kidney beans or cannellini) because they contain a naturally occurring substance called Phytohaemagglutnin, which can be toxic to humans and cause severe GI distress. The beans must be cooked in a full boil for at least ten minutes to break down this substance, and most slow cookers do not achieve this level of heat.
Relieved of the fear of cooking soft boiled eggs since my wife’s death. Your recipe worked wonders for my psychy as well as my belly. Thanx
Happy to hear it worked for you!
How many cups is a pound of beans? I don’t have a scale. :(
2 cups of dried beans equals a pound :)
Thank you for this. I always found I’d burn some of my beans cooking them the traditional way (and that’s all on me), but I’ve done them in the slow cooker now a good four times (garbanzo, black x2, and pinto) and it’s a life saver.
My mom would cook two pounds of beans on a slow simmer on the stovetop, but she added the soup to the beans in the freezer container to avoid them being dried out in the freezer. We always had ham hock or leftover Christmas ham in them and it basically sufficed as soup with homemade white cornbread with lots of butter. Boy, I miss those days…
Would you put salt or seasoning in the water? And roughly how many cups is 1 lb of dried beans?
It’s best to add salt after cooking because you’ll get more of a punch with less salt. Herbs, spices, and aromatics, on the other hand, can be added before cooking. The volume of dry beans per pound will vary with the type of bean, since they’re all different shapes and sizes.
Beth, my wife and I use an electric pressure cooker. Cuts your cooking time down to 30 minutes and cool down for 30 minutes. One hour and they are done. Just passing it on.
John: Is the recipe the same in the IP though? 6 cups per pound of dry beans? Then set it to what?
Beth do you like to season these while cooking? If so what are you recommendations for seasonings for the different varieties of beans? Thanks
I usually leave them neutral so that I can use the beans in any type of cooked dish later. So I prefer to season when I use the cooked beans in a recipe, rather than season the beans themselves. It’s more flexible that way. :)
Probably a dumb question, but I’ve looked around and found a lot of conflicting answers: When cooking beans (or anything, really) on a stove top and you have to “reduce the heat to low and let it simmer”, should there be bubbles going the whole time?
I ask because when I set my electric coil range down to “1 – Low/Sim.” from a full boil, the bubbling and motion in the pot stops altogether. Not sure if I should be leaving it on the “Simmer” setting and potentially undercook the beans or bump the heat up to 3 or 4 (out of 10, 5 being “Med.”) where there is some visible “simmering” taking place. Thanks!
That’s a great question! Yes, there should be bubbles the whole time. A simmer is when there are small gentle bubbles (as opposed to large, rapid bubbles for a boil). Unfortunately the settings on ranges can’t predict for all the variables in cooking, like the type of cookware or the amount of food in the pot, so the settings won’t always be accurate (same with recipes instructions). So, that’s where practice and expertise comes in. :) When you start to get the hang of cooking, you’ll know to make those little adjustments like turning the heat up just a bit to maintain that simmer, even though the dial says “simmer” is setting #1. I hope that helps! :)
Thanks so much!
Can you cook them for longer on low or medium? If I wanted to have them cook while I’m at work? TIA
You can, but if you do, they may break down and turn a bit mushy.
How long in the slow cooker if you soaked them? We tried not soaking previously and the results were uncomfortable for our family.
I’ve only done unsoaked, but I read the tutorial on Kalyn’s Kitchen that I have linked up at the top of the post and she did it both ways. She said her soaked beans took about 3-4 hours on high.
I always soak but have a quick soak method on “keep warm” (2-4 hr). Without it, depending on the bean, it can result in a lot of gas.
I definitely forgot about these in the slow cooker. I had pound in there for over 7 hours.
Any advice as to what they’d be best to use in now?
I’d mash them and use them like refried beans. :)
How do you handle the beans out of the freezer? Mine are frozen solid together! Do you thaw them before using them? Would 30 seconds or a minute in the microwave work? Thanks so much!
It depends on what I’ll be using them for, but usually you do need to thaw them. A microwave works great, but you’ll probably need a little more time than just a minute. I like to use the defrost feature on the microwave so that it doesn’t overheat the outer edges before the center thaws. Either way, you’ll want to stir it often as it heats to keep things even.
Hello
Can you tell me if soybeans can be cooked in the slow cooker or would there be the same issue as the kidney beans
( Phytohaemagglutnin)? I have researched this every place possible and haven’t found an answer specific to soybeans. Also, I thought all beans contained phytohaemagglutnin but kidney beans are very high in them, hence the concern with cooking kidney beans in the slow cooker.
Thanks!
Michele
Yes, all beans contain traces of it, but beans in the kidney bean family are the only ones that have high enough amounts to require boiling for ten minutes. I don’t know for certain about soy beans, but you can eat them lightly steamed, so if I had to guess I would say they’re okay.
I would love it if you would add a pressure cooker version. I know I can look it up, but my first go-to site is this one!
2 cups of beans (1lb), 5 cups of water for 60 mins at high pressure will give great cooked beans. I do 90 mins for soft, creamy beans. This is unsoaked! If you soak for 8 hrs or more, you can probably get away with 30-45 mins… maybe less.
22 minutes at 15 PSI in a pressure cooker works perfect for soaked black beans. You also want an inch or so of water over the beans They will be soft but whole and not broken apart. For other types of beans the time is different. Start the clock when the pot is up to pressure.
This recipe, but the time it takes for presoaked beans instead? :o
I have a problem with the beans not getting all the way done. What am I doing wrong?
If the beans are too old, they’ll never soften, unfortunately. You can also try adding a half teaspoon of baking soda to the water because if you have really hard water in your area that can also prevent beans from softening.
Do you add the baking soda to the cooking water?
Yes. :)
Never! It binds to nutrients and makes them less absorbable.
NEVER add baking soda to the cooking water for beans. It greatly interferes with the nutrient absorption*. Just soak old beans overnight in Distilled water, discard the soaking water and bring them to a boil in new Distilled water. Boil ten minutes, let stand an hour off the heat, then cook as usual. Even fifty year old rock hard beans will cook this way. You can also add a small piece of kombu to get them to soften faster, but I haven’t tried it.
*Baking soda info courtesy of my food science professor.
I just found this website when looking for meals I could make and freeze for my son in college, first apt and he is learning to cook for himself when he has time. Great frozen meal suggestions, love it! With a son in college and one starting next year need to money saving tips and so does he, thank you.
As for the beans I am seeing posts where you say you prefer to cook for 8-10hrs on low, but the recipes says 4-6hrs on high. Which is best, I just started some at 7:30am so I have time to do either. Also any recommended adjustments for high altitude, I live in Colorado at about 6000 ft above sea level.
I think lately I prefer the low setting because it softens the beans without breaking the skins open, so they stay whole. If it’s for something like the (not) refried beans, though, I’d just do it on high. :)
Thanks! I ended up doing them on high for about 5 1/2 hrs and they came out perfect. Yielded 5-2 cup bags full vs. 6, but that is OK (i did 2 lbs). Going to make the “Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas” tonight. I made them a few weeks ago. froze, and brought up to my son. They looked so good I knew I needed to try them myself (and the store was out of the black beans with no salt added)!
BTW – Do you have a recipe for homemade refried beans, if so I’d love to try it!
I don’t have a refried bean recipe, but I have a (not) refried bean recipe that uses the slow cooker! :) They’re SO good.
Question – I’ve made refried beans using canned black beans. If I were to use your method for black beans, should I freeze the cooked beans with some of the broth that comes from it? Then I could just cook this all together when I pull it from the freezer? Also, one pound of dried beans = how many cups?
I like to freeze it in the cooking liquid, yes. You can either use that liquid when you cook with them later, or drain it off, depending on the recipe. One pound of beans is roughly equal to three 15oz. cans from the grocery store, so about 5-6 cups.
Hi Beth! I made black beans yesterday by following your directions and they turned out great. I was wondering if you could please tell me how to cook kidney beans? After reading the other comments I know that they need to be boiled because of the toxin, however when I followed the instructions on another website the kidney beans turned out very mushy and basically unusable. If you could tell me how you cook your kidney beans I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you!!
I haven’t found a good method for kidney beans where they stay whole yet. Maybe if you let them boil hard for ten minutes, but then reduce the heat a little to a more gentle boil for the rest of the time that will help.
Thanks for your response Beth, I’ll give that a try without soaking them overnight this time and report back. :)
Thank you! I made these today after years of never failing to cook dried beans well. My husband loved it – he ate them with just salt.
Try using the pressure cooker instead. I can cook pinto beans from dry in 20 mins, and chickpeas from dry in 35 mins.
I started cooking beans in the crock pot about a year ago, I will never go back, totally love the beans this way I do add 3 garlic cloves and 1/2 an onion sliced up a bit. I usually puree my beans and store them in the fridge but with the freezer option I will try doing 2lbs at a time and save me some effort
I wouldn’t rinse away the broth. It is good for making soups and stews with beans. The broth becomes thicker the following day so you end up with a tasty stew. I think this is how most people eat beans in Latin America, paired with rice, plantains or avocado. So good! :)
Does this method work for other types of beans, such as chickpeas?
Yep, it’s great for chickpeas. The only beans you need to be cautious with are beans in the kidney bean family (red and white kidneys, cannellini). Those beans have a natural compound that can cause gastro-intestinal distress (it’s toxic) and it needs to be boiled out. The slow cooker doesn’t quite get it hot enough to cook it out, so they need to be boiled on the stove top.
This is awesome. I have used this method for both black beans and chick peas and both have turned out great. Thanks Beth.
Hi Beth,
I love your site – it has helped my husband and I nearly halve our grocery bill while still eating food we love. So thanks!
A quick question about cooking beans in a slow cooker, I read that it’s not recommended due to increasing the concentration of phytohaemagglutnin (http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/CausesOfIllnessBadBugBook/ucm071092.htm). It said that slow cookers don’t sustain high enough temperatures for long enough to kill the bug, but every time I cook the beans they cook quicker than the recommended time and I’ve never been sick. Plus it seems to me that cooked on high the water is pretty hot, even if it’s not boiling.mJust wondering if you have any thoughts?
It’s usually only a problem with kidney beans and beans in the kidney bean family (like cannellini), so for those I avoid the slow cooker method. :)
I will have to give this another shot to save some money. The two times I have cooked dried beans weren’t successful. I had black beans that cooked & cooked but were never done. I also tried some beans from an Indian market that looked like small chick peas but never plumped up and never cooked either. I know not to add salt until their done so I just don’t know what I did wrong. I feel like it should not be this difficult to cook beans so I will try again.
I’ve learned a lot from other readers and sometimes if the beans are too old, they just never soften. The mineral content of your water actually greatly affects how well the beans cook, too. Some have said that a teaspoon of baking soda in the water helps, but I haven’t tried that.
I think I must hold some sort of record: a few months ago I used this method to cook chickpeas that had been lying around since March 2005 (they had a ‘best before’ date of 2007) – and they turned out perfectly!
WOW! Ha!
I haven’t used the baking soda to try to soften them. However, I have had some black beans that I cooked for two days and they never softened up. This was before I discovered that you don’t put salt in the pot when cooking your beans. Money was tight and we just couldn’t throw out the beans, but we couldn’t eat them either without fear of chipping teeth. So, I bagged them and tossed them into the freezer until I could find out what I did wrong and how to fix it. I discovered the wrong: don’t cook them with salt or anything containing salt, like bouillon. And I discovered the fix quite accidentally: freezing them broke them down. I have since used that on several other batches of beans (my girls learned the hard way too) and with several different kinds of beans. I also learned that they needed to be hard frozen, like in a deep freezer or forgotten in the back of the fridge/freezer, for close to a week before they can be taken out and used.
I have been cooking for almost 40 years and I learned a couple of new things in my first visit to your site today. Thank you! Because even an experienced cook can learn a new skill/recipe. ;-)
How long can these keep in regular air-tight containers?
In the fridge probably around 5 days. I keep them in my freezer for months, though.
I cook most of my beans in a rice cooker. After pre-soaking, I fill my rice cooker up to the max limit, and wait until it boils, then I dump my beans in, and put a timer on. It takes between 30 minutes for the smaller beans like adzuki, 45 for black beans and about 1 hour for butter beans. Perfect for the days this student studies from her home!
I add 1 T. olive oil to the slow cooker at the beginning to keep crust from forming. It makes washing the crock so much easier. I also add 2 t. of salt per pound of beans initially. I like the results but I’m convinced that beans cook very differently for different people depending on your water, age of beans etc.
About how long does the stove top method take? Thanks!
After the initial soak, it takes a couple of hours of simmering on the stove top.
Dumb question…this would be the same method for any bean and not just black beans, right?
It’s not a dumb question. :) Yes, this can be used for other beans as well, except beans in the kidney bean family (kidneys, cannellini) because they need to be fully boiled to remove a natural toxin. I like to use this method for chickpeas. :)
I use my pressure cooker for dry beans (actually, it’s the only thing I use it for.) I presoak for up to 24 hours to make sure they’re fully hydrated and swollen, that’s not really a hardship, and cook 2lbs at a time before freezing them in sandwich bags. Cooking time varies by the type of bean, but it’s mostly only about 5 minutes, plus 30 minutes cool-down time before releasing the lid. It’s important to make sure the beans are always covered with about 1/2 in of water so they don’t burst, hence the reason for complete presoaking. Once you get the timing right it produces perfect beans every time. It’s a really excellent and quick way to cook any type of bean; chick peas as well.
I made these with a 2-pound bag that had been in the pantry for longer than I care to think about. (My husband tends to buy things and forget to use them, lol) I sorted them, rinsed them, tossed them in the slow cooker with water, and let them go. About halfway through the time I added about 2T of vegetable base to the mix, but nothing more, and those beans are quite possibly as good as any I’ve ever gotten from a can! Thank you for this great and simple instructional, I’m definitely adding it to my repertoire. :)
You can cook White Northern and/ or Navy beans the same way but I add bacon drippings as seasoning
Do you salt these at all?
I didn’t because I prefer to salt the dishes that the beans go into instead. You certainly could salt them, though. I would suggest salting at the end after cooking.
Hi Beth,
I’ve seen people recommend an overnight soak of the beans with a tablespoon of yogurt or yogurt whey added at the start – the rationale given is that it adds Lactobacillus casei to break down the starches that cause gas. Does this idea have any merit? Is it likely that the bacteria would ‘take’ successfully in the bean soak water? Would they actually do anything to the starches? Thank you.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060426080023.htm – original study
http://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Beans-Without-Gas – recommendation to add yogurt/yogurt whey
It’s definitely an interesting concept! For me personally, an overnight soak has never made a lick of difference in how my body digests the beans (to put it politely). Perhaps for some people it does, though. It’s entirely possible for the bacteria to help, although it would need to be at room temperature and not the refrigerator. The refrigerator is too cold for the bacteria to do much work over night. But leaving it out at room temperature always opens the door for other microbes that might be present to proliferate as well. So, it’s risky.
Put a potato in the pot with the beans and throw it away don’t eat it as this helps to remove gas
also beano is great if you get gas from beans
Interesting! I’ve never heard of that technique. I’m going to have to give it a shot!
Do you add more water for more beans? So if I were to make 2 pounds, would that be 12C of water? :)
Yep, exactly! :)
Can you make a recipe/tutorial entry on how to slow cook chickpeas?
love your website!
Well, it’s pretty much the exact same process, except use chickpeas instead of black beans. :) No special techniques needed.
thanks!
hello,
my kind only likes to eat pink beans (won’t eat any other) and i want to try this. can i do the same process as you did for black beans, or it has to be different for pink beans?
Hmm, I’ve never cooked pink beans. It should work the same, in theory, but if they are related to kidney beans, you may need to boil them for ten minutes to make sure the natural toxin breaks down and doesn’t cause you gastric distress. :(
I cook mine in veggie stock instead of water and throw in a few bay leaves! :)
You can also try a hot soak. It still takes some time, but not as long as overnight. I’ve done a 4-hour soak and had good results making red beans and rice.
From the U.S. Dry Beans Council (who knew there was such a thing?):
1. Place beans in a pot and add 10 cups of water for every 2 cups of beans.
2. Heat to boiling and boil for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Remove beans from heat, cover and let stand for 4 to 24 hours.
4. Drain beans, discard soak water and rinse with fresh, cool water.
Have you tried freezing them in freezable canning jars?
Nope! I’m always a little afraid to freeze in glass jars because of falling objects and delicate toes (crazy, I know). Hahaha.
A few nights ago I tried cooking black beans on the stove. I soaked them for 7 or 8 hours, then cooked them for about 3. I had to add a little more water halfway through to keep them all submerged, but after 2 hours they were al dente. I kept cooking with the lid off for the last half hour and they ended up with a wonderful gravy! Tasted so good, I dumped the whole thing in for the Chipotle Sweet Potato Quesadillas in your book. SO AWESOME. I had had trouble before with the canned beans rolling out of the tortillas because they weren’t sticking to anything, so the added gravy was perfect!
We eat a lot of canned black beans…not anymore now that I found this recipe! Our family favorite is sauteed smoked turkey sausage with onions and garlic, 2 C black beans, 1 C corn, and 2 C brown rice. Add cilantro and/or diced avocado as a garnish. Super yum!
Hey Beth! Does this apply to any dried beans? I have bag of garbanzos I wanted to do the same with..
Yep, I’ve cooked garbanzos with this method and it works well. :)
Did you have to presoak the chickpeas overnight?
Nope, I just toss them in there dry. :)
Hi,
What is the weight of drained can of beans? I’ve recently come to Chicago for my masters, so I don’t know much about here. Only grocery stores I know are Target, Jewel and Trader Joe’s. The cheapest raw beans (1 lb) I found was something like $1.5 and the cheapest canned beans (15 oz which makes something like 1 lb) I found was like $0.75. So raw beans’ price is like twice expensive. So if two dried can of beans weight 1 lb, then I either don’t know where to buy cheap stuff or Chicago has weird pricing system.
By the way, I’ve recently found your site and it’s helping me so much. Thank you for helping strangers like me :)
Don’t forget, the cooked beans contain a LOT more water, so that’s why they’re heavier. You can’t just compare the drained weight to the weight of the dry beans because the cooked bean has absorbed water. :) One pound of raw/uncooked beans will equal about three cans of the cooked beans.
The measurement on canned foods is not a weight measurement it is a volume measurement.
Why do you toss the liquid before you freeze the beans? Can they be frozen together?
I’ve since started freezing them in the liquid. It does help keep them from drying out in the freezer. :)
When you use them, do you thaw off and drain the liquid or do you cook the liquid in your recipe?
I usually dump the whole frozen block into a colander and run cool water over them until they thaw (it’s very quick) and that rinses them in the process. You CAN use the liquid if you like, though. It can help make soups and stews thicker because it’s full of soluble fiber.
Wow! It’s like I’m not cooking but I am! I’m so excited Beth that I can actually prepare a dinner for once in my life!! Please keep the step by step pictures too. This is what makes you different from every other person sharing recipes. Thank you! =D
How long do they last in the freezer? I’m looking to do a big stock-up but don’t want the beans to go bad before I could use them!
There’s no specific time limit, they just begin to diminish in quality after time (they dry out and get freezer burn). I try to use up freezer items within three months or so.
I haven’t cooked black beans in my slow cooker, but I came to this recipe to see if I could freeze cooked black beans (yay! I can!).
I like to add some bay leaves to the pot as I’m cooking my black beans. It gives them a nice, subtle flavor. I suspect that throwing a bay leaf or two in the crockpot would have the same result!
Another bonus to cooking your own beans: the cooking water (not soaking water) can be kept and used as a tasty stock! I know this works for black beans, not sure for other kinds (will have to experiment with that!)
Probably a silly question… but will this process work for any bean or do different beans have different water/bean ratios? My local WF store sells garbanzo beans in bulk, which I would prefer over canned. I just want to make sure I prep them correctly.
It should be about the same bean/water ratio for all beans. The only bean I know of that you don’t want to use this method with is kidney beans. They need to be boiled heavily for at least 10 minutes to break down a naturally occurring chemical that can cause extreme gastric distress. The slow cooker doesn’t boil strong enough to accomplish that.
For years I made all my chili and bean soup recipes with kidney beans, but now I prefer “small red beans” instead and cook them from the dried state and I have found them canned also. Check the Hispanic aisle or stores. That is their generic name…..small red beans.
I love this recipe! I sauteed onions and garlic in vegetable oil and mixed it in the beans as they were cooking for more of a cuban styled meal ;)
I’ve heard there are health benefits to soaking foods(like beans) before cooking. How long should I cook the black beans in the crockpot if I pre-soak overnight? Do i still use the high heat setting? Of course this is assuming I actually plan far enough ahead- knowing I can just pour them in the morning of is awesome.
Well, I haven’t cooked them in the slow cooker with a presoak, so I can’t speak from experience. Here is the link to the site where I learned about cooking beans in the slow cooker. She did an experiment with soaking vs. not soaking. I’d assume you’ll need less liquid when you finally cook them, though, since they’ve already absorbed some.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can use a dutch oven (enameled cast iron is best) in the oven set at 200F. If your pot seals well, the timing should be the same as a slow cooker on High.
Thank you for this! I always used to cook my own beans but I started getting lazy and opting for canned. Organic canned beans with non-BPA liners are $2 plus tax at my grocery store (and that’s ON SALE) so this way is much cheaper. I find it really hard to plan ahead and with this method, I don’t have to :) Thanks again, you rock!
Thanks for all the tips! I’m just starting to get into eating beans and want to try out alot of your recipes, but I’m trying to stay away from canned foods. Also, I need to keep alot of pre-cooked pinto beans on hand for my pinto bean pie, which my pop frequently requests. This will keep me from having to do it the “long way”.
This is the sixth recipe that I’ve made from this budgetbytes.com. Just like all the others—it turned out marvelous! I hope to never buy a can of black beans again. Thanks a bunch for your awesome website.
Fantastic! I just made these last night. They only needed about 3.5 hours in my crock pot on high, but I think I’ll do them on low next time. I don’t have a scale, but I used 2 cups of dry beans and got 6 cups of cooked beans. Will definitely try again with chickpeas!
I bought a ~4 lb bag for about $4.50, which should give me the equivalent of 12 cans at $0.38/can. I buy the no-salt PC brand (I’m in Canada) which is $1.30/can or $1 on sale, so I’m cutting the cost to about a third! Woo!
I sort my beans and then leave them over night to soak in the Crockpot itself turned off. Then drain the water refill and cook.
I find these are the best! You can do so much with them. Add sausage to half and then puree the other for re-fried beans.
So I made these last weekend and got so busy that I totally forgot they were in the crock pot until about 9 hours later when I was over at my mom’s for dinner. (Uhh…oops?) Well, by the time I got home, it had been about 12 hours all together…in the crock pot…on high. But they were fine! A few on top looked a little dry and there wasn’t much water left but they were soft and cooked through lol! I just bagged them up with a little extra water to cover them and tossed them in the freezer. I’m still going to set a timer next time, though! Good to know they are literally fool proof. :)
Hi, i was just wondering if this was the same for chickpeas? we love making hummus in our house but can’t seem to remember to soak the beans, so we wind up buying the cans.
Yep, I’ve cooked chickpeas using this method before and they turned out great. :)
Thanks for the great idea. I am so new to cooking with beans I had been using canned beans. But I just bought some dry beans and now I know how to keep them even handier than canned beans.
A lot of people have asked about the price of water and electricity, but a quick google search can answer this:
Unless I’m mistaken, water costs something like $0.004/gallon unless you are buying overpriced bottled water and not filtering/using tap. This recipe calls for a lot less than a gallon, but lets just use that number. The local filter machine costs $0.54/gallon, and that’s also obscenely overpriced so $0.004 for tap isn’t unimaginable.
As for the electrical costs, a crock pot on low runs on something like 110w, which over 8 hours can be safely rounded up to 1KWH. US average for 1KWH is about 12 cents.
So, we’re talking a hidden cost of less than 12.4 cents. Definitely not the extra $0.40/can that’s being saved.
Hey NumbersGuy,
I was thinking the same thing myself (plus the cost of labor), so thanks for doing the research and answering the question for us. However, I might further clarify that since the 12.4 cents is being spread over what Beth says is the equivalent of 3 cans of beans, we ought to divide the 12.4 by 3 = 4.13 cents. This brings the final cost (not counting time/labor) to 40+4.13=44.13 cents per can.
I like to soak the beans, which usually reduces cook time to under 2 hours, so this would seem to bring electricity costs down to 3 cents, which when spread over the production of 3 cans of beans yields an added cost of about 1 cent per can. Rounding up might give us a cost of 42 cents per can if we soak the beans first.
I put a strip of kombu in the pressure cooker with mine (to cut down on gas). I spread them on a cookie sheet after cooked and put in freezer. Then you can use a wooden spoon to scrape them off and freeze them in bags–they’re not in a chunk that has to be completely thawed. Easy to grab a handful of chickpeas for a salad…
Two things to be aware of with dry beans:
1. Some beans, like kidney, cannelloni and fava, have dangerous levels of a poisonous chemical related to the blood thinner Coumadin. Boiling them for just a few minutes makes them safe, but simmering all day will not. Chose your beans wisely for slow-cooking.
2. Soaking beans starts the breakdown of carbohydrates humans have trouble digesting – soaking overnight and discarding the water will make less-gassy beans!
Wanted to give you a HUUGGGGEEE thanks for posting. I found your site via Ziplist, & I love your recipes/tips. I have my first crockpot full of black beans going now….. :)
So here’s an odd question. I went through this recipe with a one-pound bag of black beans I got from Kroger. We don’t have bulk bins at my Kroger, or I would’ve gotten them from there. By the time it was done, the beans were brown, and nowhere near as big as black beans in a can. They almost looked like pinto beans! The water was thick and dark purple/black. Do you think I somehow got a bad batch? Do people put food dyes on pinto beans and pass them off as black beans? I did pre-soak, so perhaps I just overcooked them. This is the first time I’ve done dried beans that weren’t in a stew or something similar– help!
It sounds like they may just be over cooked or it could be the particular variety that has a lighter color. I’ve noticed that some brands that I buy in a can are definitely more brown than black. I’ve found the best way to cook black beans in a slow cooker is to do 8 hours on low with no pre-soaking. The beans stay whole (don’t break apart and turn to mush) and keep a nice color. I hope that helps!
Everyone keeps talking about the kidney beans toxicity, but I read somewhere that fava beans contain the same toxins and must be boiled for 10 minutes before use as well.
Beth, I’ve made dried beans before, but not often. Do you really sort your beans every time you make them? I find myself sorting for a really long time and not finding any stones so I just don’t really sort anymore. Do you think thats a bad idea? Am I over sorting and making it take longer than necessary? Maybe I just need to be quicker about it! The sorting through is just kind of a pain.
I just do a really quick sort-through. I either spread them out onto a rimmed baking sheet so that I can see everything clearly and just scan really quickly for stones, or just kind of sort through them as they’re in the colander being rinsed. You don’t have to be super picky about each bean :) I’ve also noticed that if I get a better brand, they’re better sorted to begin with. When I bought beans in bulk from the produce market they had tons of stones and were very dusty, but the Camilla brand from the grocery store are usually stone-free and very clean.
I’m going to try the crockpot, I’ve always done them on the stove. As moisture boils down, I add coffee, not water. They taste great – also I add a small can of chopped green chile.
Oooh, that coffee idea sounds fantastic!
I get the best results by pre soaking overnight – discarding the water. pre boiling ( to remove toxins), and then adding to slow cooker overnight usually. I also often add in chili and whatever else I want – and freeze them in the sauce – so they are all ready to go. Such a great cheap way to add extra protein and flavour to a meal. I LOVE my slow cooker. We eat alot of beans and the freeezer is full of them.
I would recommend keeping your bean liquid. We put ours in old spaghetti sauce jars with the lid on tight while still hot and it actually cans itself as it cools down. Then we have jars of bean ‘broth’ that we can use instead of water for any recipe to give it more flavor and depth. We’ll make rice or soups or really anything that calls for veggie broth, with bean ‘broth’ instead. You can also store all your veggie trimmings in the freezer and once every 2 weeks or so make some really amazing veggie broths, to use for the same things. Making a pot of beans with only homemade veggie broth, then saving that leftover bean broth, makes for an amazing tasting base to any dish:)
Beth –
Have you by any chance measured out a 15 oz can of beans to know if the 15 oz is with the liquid, or if it is 15 oz of beans with the liquid discarded? I want to be able to freeze these in approx. equivalents to a can so I can easily use in a recipe that calls for a can of beans. I may have to buy a can and measure it for future reference. Thought I would ask in case you had done that.
Well, the 15 oz. is a weight measurement and I *think* it’s the liquid and beans. I’ve measured the volume of the beans only from a can before and it’s usually around 2 cups. I usually freeze my beans in 2 cup portions.
Hey Beth and fellow budgetbyters,
I’ve been using this method for cooking beans since I discovered it on here website last year. I primarily cook black and white beans (not at the same time) using this method.
I just wanted to say that when I do my white beans I really spice up the water with garlic powder, onion powder, chicken bouillon, and Italian seasonings (no measuring for me, I just toss it in–I know, I know, not budget conscious, but that’s how I do it).
The main reason I bring this up is because after I finish cooking the beans I save the broth, strain it, and freeze it. It makes the best base ever for minestrone.
Thought this might be worth noting. Great site Beth.
your* website
That is a great trick! I might even have to try it and post about it! Thanks for sharing! :D
I just wanted to say that I took the plunge yesterday and used my crock pot to prepare a 2 lb bag of white beans that my daughter’s home health nurse had given me. Now, I have four 2-cup baggies in my freezer and the rest of it I used in a casserole with cheese and rice for dinner. I don’t think I’ll be buying canned beans again any time soon!
This is so easy. Thanks for sharing. When I did this though, the black beans left stains in my white crockpot. Any idea on how to get the crockpot clean again?
Hmmm, good question! My crockpot is a black glazed ceramic, so it hasn’t stained. I’m assuming yours is ceramic, too. You might try something like CLR to remove hard water type deposits because I think sometimes beans leave a hard deposit (not sure if it’s calcium or what). Or just try a bleach cleaner like Clorox Cleanup.
I know you posted this ages ago, but making a paste with baking soda and water and scrubbing with your fingertips will take the marks right off.
My husband and I have been using dry beans for many years now. This year we decided to take it one step farther. He added 5 of our favorites to his garden to see how we do at growing our own! We’re both so excited to see how it turns out!
I am going to try this as soon as I use up the cans of beans I have in my pantry.
My husband asked me, “”Did she include the price of electricity (for the Crock pot)?””
Gee whiz! I am not sure if he is a” spoil-sport smarty-pants”, or if really “gets the essence of your blog”! At any rate, I LOVE your blog!
I have tried this method and it worked well with black beans, although I found my cooking time was less than 4 hours, no presoak either. I think my crock pot runs a little hotter than others, because I know on high it definitely gets to a good boil. I just finished a batch of red kidney beans, which apparently have toxins in them if not boiled for 10 minutes or longer. I wasn’t standing over the crockpot but I am fairly sure it was at a decent boil for at least 20 minutes. So I think I should be ok, but even letting it go for about 4 hours, they beans have split a bit and are kind of mushy. Anyone have any hints? I’m sure I will just have to play around with the timing on mine, it is a small crock pot so maybe it just heats up faster or gets hotter than others.
I’ve found that the more the liquid boils, the more the beans break apart. Recently I started cooking them on low for 8-10 hours and they come out perfectly! Except you can’t do that with the kidney beans, of course.
Sarah – I’ve cooked unsoaked black beans on low for 8 hours, and it worked great! I hope yours turns out okay!
I think I’ve made a “boo-boo”. I didn’t pre-soak my pinto beans (1 lb.), but I washed and sorted through them. I added them to the crock-pot this morning with enough water and set them to “low”, intending them to cook for at least 10 hours while I’m away at work. Is this enough time? Will I have tough, uncooked beans at the end of my Monday?
I precook my bean for a hour or so,, drain off the water,, and add nw hot water to the crock pot,, takes about 1/2 the time to finish them,,
I put Baking Soda in my beans to eliminate the GAS and it helps that way you do not have to pre-boil your beans!
I like to cook beans in my Stanley thermos. I soak beans in salty water overnight (contrary to kitchen folklore, salt actually helps soften beans, not make them tough), then boil in fresh water for 10 minutes the next morning. I then pop them into my trusty Stanley thermos for the day, and when it’s time to make supper, the beans are perfectly cooked! Details: http://thriftyliving.net/2008/09/07/cooking-with-stanley/
I agree that dry beans are better than canned if the canned have preservatives or sodium. But not sure they are cheaper or greener. You probably spent the 40 cents you saved on water and electricity for the crockpot. And you have to wash the baking sheet, the colander and the crockpot with hot water. Do more energy andcwsterbussge there.
Trader Joes has canned beans with low sodium and no preservative for around .89 cents. It’s probably a wash environmentally and cost-wise.
Somebody asked if you can can beans. You can. It is easy with a pressure canner, but has a very long canning cycle. I think an hour or more at high temps…like canning meat. I normally just freeze mine, though I do can a bunch maybe once a year for emergencies…like I realize I have run out of frozen beans.
We’re looking forward to our first batch. I particularly want to appreciate your method for sorting/picking before rinsing. I’ve never thought to use a tray before and it made a huge difference- found the pebble with my eyes instead of my teeth! Also, we’ve enjoyed 3 or 4 recipes since finding you and all have been ‘keepers’. Thank you.
Thanks for the quick reply Beth. The batch I made today turned out great, so I don’t see any reason to pre-soak if it doesn’t reduce the time. -Brandon
I’ve cooked them both soaked and not soaked, but used the same cooking time for both… so, I don’t know if you can reduce it, but I do know that it won’t make them overly mushy :)
Does anyone know if the slow-cooker time is reduced if I were to take the time to soak the beans beforehand? Thanks for this article! Testing out my first slow-cooker batch right now :)
Brandon
If this can be cooked on a slow cooker, I guess it can be too on a rice cooker.. Hmm gonna give it a try. Thanks for this secret recipe.
http://www.ricecooker5cup.com/
Thanks for this great recipe! I made it, freezed it in separate containers and defrosted some of the shrimp, rice, and black bean recipe. Yum!
My mom cooks a lot of her food in the oven overnight! She cooks down tomato sauce, salsa, apples for apple sauce, etc. The food can be cooked in big roasters, it doesn’t burn, similar to a crock pot in that you really don’t need to check on it very often. However you can make greater quantities at one time if needed.
Kerah – Some people swear by soaking beans to reduce gas, but I’ve never found it to make a lick of difference (whether cooked on the stove top or in the slow cooker), so I don’t bother doing it. My body doesn’t seem to notice the difference :) So, it’s up to you!
I love your blog and everything I’ve tried has been so good! Question on the beans… Should you soak black beans before cooking in the crockpot to neutralize the gas, or is that more necessary for kidney/red beans?
Jem – I usually just empty the container into a colander and then run cool water over them until they thaw. It only takes a few minutes. Or, if your beans didn’t stay whole while they cooked (if they broke apart or got mushy), you can just reheat them in a small sauce pan over low heat. You may need to add a bit of water to keep them from drying up.
Friend told me to add a little baking soda, no gassy effect, completely neutralizes…..
Great website & article, I can’t wait to try this. What advice do you have for thawing the beans, preferably without the microwave! Has anyone tried cooking beans in their rice cooker?
Just found this blog about soaking beans. Can’t wait to try your black bean salad recipe with the ham & pineapple quesadillas, but I’m definitely soaking the beans first.
http://missvickie.com/howto/beans/howtosoak.html
I love cooking my own beans. Once you get into the habit, it’s not a big deal. Watch the cooking and soaking times on different types of beans. I didn’t realize they varied so much. I cooked black-eyed peas recently – soaking over night then cooking for an hour or so like I do with all the others I’ve tried so far. Way too long! Turns out they don’t need that long – short soak and cook for 30 mins!
Maggie – You can do other types of beans. I’ve only tried a few so far (garbanzo’s are on my list to try!). The only one you want to stay away from is kidney beans, because they really need to be boiled to reduce a natural toxin that they carry.
Do you know if I can do this same process with any kind of beans? I just bought a bag of dry garbanzo beans.
I cook alot of dried pinto beans. I soak them overnight and pour out the water they soaked in. Put them in a crock pot with fresh water and oil or salt pork. The juice is lighter in color and they taste wonderful. Season after they finish cooking.
If you put the cleaned beans in a pot, bring it to a boil, cover, remove from heat and let sit for an hour, then drain off the water before cooking futher, you will not have any gas at all.
Although you can add many things before they cook, tomatoes will make it so they do not soften, too.
I love the crock pot bean method! I use it all the time. Black beans, navy beans, red beans, garbanzo beans, they all come out great. I cook mine on high for 3:30 to 4 hours and then check them, sometimes going for longer can make them split and get a little mushy. Just my experience in a newer crock pot.
Now to find some recipes to use all these dry beans I have! :) TY FOR THIS!
I’m so glad I’ve been led to your blog! This is a great idea. I’ve recently learned the fact that just about all cans out there are lined with BPA, so I’m trying to avoid them wherever I can. I never really knew how to use dried beans (other than putting them in a tube to make a shaker!) Thanks a bunch!
Grace – I can’t say for sure about the bug larvae. I do rinse the beans well before cooking and I don’t even bother soaking them first. The heat will be enough to kill anything there, although if just the *idea* of larvae gets to you, go ahead and do the soak/new water routine :) I haven’t had any issues yet.
In Kayln’s article that you linked in your blog, it says to make sure and throw out the water used to soak the beans because of bug larvae and other yucky stuff on the outside of the bean. Is this true? If so, when cooked in the slow cooker, the beans remain in all of that dirty water.
I looked a little further into the kidney bean issue and it seems that heating them without reaching a boil (which can happen if you cook on low in the slow cooker) can actually increase the amount of the offending chemical. But, as long as it is at boiling temp for at least ten minutes, the chemical is deactivated. So, I think it’s just best to be extra careful with kidneys!
@ Anonymous While what you say is technically true, http://missvickie.com/howto/beans/beantoxins.htm , no one intentionally eats raw, dried beans. Your post reeks of fear mongering.
I’ve been told that beans need to be boiled first to eliminate toxicity, then can be put in the slow cooker for the rest of the cooking. Please do check this as it could make you very sick.
To Anonymous and Beth – Concerning cooking beans with salt, this is how it was described to me. The salt molecules are larger than the water molecules. When the beans are cooking, the larger salt molecules clog the pores of the bean membrane, and the water can’t be absorbed. As soon as it was explained to me this way, I knew I’d always remember NOT to salt the beans during the cooking process. And GREAT blog Beth! Frugal but healthy cooking is the way to go!
We cook one-two slow cooker pots of beans each week. (Latino family!) The great thing about cooking beans is that you can also add a lot of flavor with very few ingredients. For good pinto beans, we typically add one onion halved(remove later), 1 chopped/seeded jalapeño, 1 Tbsp cumin, and a pinch of black pepper. We mash these later as well and they taste and look like refried beans.
For black beans, we use almost the same ingredients, except we add cilantro and lime juice when it’s done cooking and mash as well. Delicious!
Anon – Yes, salt does make beans very tough. You always want to add salt at the END of cooking beans. You can add other seasonings before you begin cooking them (onions, garlic, spices), but never salt. Very hard water can sometimes have the same effect.
I just learned a time-saving tip from my MIL. The night before, bring beans to a boil for 5 min. Turn off heat and leave on stove top over night with lid. The next day you only need to cook them for about 40-60 min. (depending on type of beans). I’ve only used it on pinto beans so far and it works great!
Also, a friend recently told me that adding salt will stop the cooking process and the beans will never get soft. Does anyone know if this is true?
If you want to make them even more tastey add a quarter of an onion, a few garlic cloves and some salt. Pull them out when they are done cooking.
Anon – I’m really not sure… I’ve never heard of or used a thermal cooker. If you try it out, please let us know if it works! :)
Beth, would it work with my thermal cooker? Thermal cookers have to have it boiling for 10 minutes and then set in the thermal for simmering. would 10 minutes be too much? thanks
I have always made my beans in a crockpot. It’s so easy! But I always throw in a quartered onion and 2-3 cloves garlic along with the beans when I start them. It flavors the beans as well as the broth. Then I save the bean broth along with the beans. I use it to ‘re-fry’ beans without using oil, among other uses.
Veronica–yes, you can “can” (meaning bottle) your own beans. I do it a lot and it is SO easy! The only trick is that you need a pressure cooker large enough to fit the jars, with a canning rack in the bottom. I love the slow cooker recipe here–a nice, easy method for cooking and storing beans if you don’t have a pressure cooker.
–Heidi
If you want to remove the “gassy” effects throw a few sprigs of epazote into your beans. Note: This will also slightly change the beans flavor. Most Mexican beans are cooked this way.
I also add some garlic and onion…
Thank you!!
Best thing to add when cooking dried beans is Kombu!
The amino acids soften the beans and make them much more digestible. Voila! No gas and bloating!
I use a 6 inch strip.
cpamomma – I think you need to get fresh water to get rid of the gas stuff… but in all of my years of bean making and doing the soak then add fresh water method, it has *never* lessened the gas for me :P
Curious about Anonomous’s comment about setting a timer to start the cooker after they’ve soaked during the night. Interesting…so, you don’t have to discard the water they soaked in and add fresh before cooking them? I always thought you did. Can you soak them, then cook them in the same water, and still get rid of the gas causing stuff?
I’m going to second the pressure cooker method; it’s awesome! Not only does it cook the beans up in a fraction of the time, but you’ll infuse them with WAY more flavor.
Thanks for your prompt help, Beth! I’ve got one crock pot of black beans going, and one crock pot of kidney beans going :)
Veronica – I would say about 4-6 months. You just have to make sure to keep some of the liquid in there so they don’t dry out. Even air-tight containers let a little evaporation happen. :)
Oh okay :) How long do they last in the freezer?
Veronica – I’m really not sure! I’m not experienced with canning at all, which is why I go the lazy route and just freeze them :P
Is it possible to can beans? I’ve never done canning before, but was wondering if it’s an option with beans :)
I know this is old….It is possible to can beans. I did a big batch of beans for refried beans. The only thing is that they are not mashed up, because with the density all the air might not be gotten out, and then bacteria can grow. When I wanted to use them, I just opened up a jar, mashed them with a potato masher, or threw them in the food processor, warmed them up and I had refried beans! Here is the link I used: http://thebeginningfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2008/06/canning-refriedburrito-beans.html
If you want to cook the beans a little faster try the pressure cooker! I did 4 pounds tonight of a mixture of red, pink and black beans. They were done in about 40 minutes.
Gawbyn, I just froze them in the containers that are pictured above. I found that it works best if you include some of the liquid in the container and then just drain it off after thawing. I try to use the frozen beans within 3-4 months. Give it a try, it’s easy! :D
Maybe I missed it, but how would I go about storing and freezing for future use? Do I have to use them in a certain amount of time?
Hooray! I’ve been meaning to do this, and now I’m completely inspired!
Thank you so much for posting this! I had wanted to kick the can for awhile but this finally inspired me to do it. Now I will never go back! :)
Soaking the beans is better for your digestion b/c it will neutralize the anti-nutrients in it. Even though it takes longer, it’s better for your health. If u have a timer on the slow cooker, u can set it start in the morning after it’s soaked.
If you’re soaking beans to improve their digestibility (soaked beans tend to be easier on the system and reduce–though not eliminate–gas issues), you don’t want to go that route, though. You want to drain off the soaking water and put fresh water in.
Still, if you’re going to slow-cook your beans, you can soak them in your cooker’s crock, drain them, add fresh water, and start them. I never actually found soaking them to be much of a chore. I just set my beans to soak in the evening while I’m washing my dinner dishes, and then drain them and put them in the slow cooker the next morning.
Two of the best kitchen investments I’ve ever made are as follows: a small upright chest freezer and a 3-in-1 pressure/rice/slow cooker. These two purchases have more than paid for themselves. Not only can you save money by cooking and freezing your own beans, you can same time with a pressure cooker. I used to be terrified of using the stove-top pressure cooker, but Fagor makes and excellent electric pressure cooker that also can be used to make perfect rice, risotto (in six minutes), yogurt, and anything else that requires a slow cooker. We use this device almost every night! The freezer has also been fantastic. No more cramming everything into the refrigerator’s freezer. Can double and triple recipes and freeze for quick meals on busy nights. Yes, kick the can!
An update on my two day bean-cooking quandary. I found another article that suggested an 1/8 of a teaspoon of baking soda if the water is heavily calcified. I tried that and it worked perfectly.
Hello!
I’ve been lurking around on and off for a while. I love your blog’s concept :)
I’ll be soon moving out of my parents’ house for the first time and am having an increased awareness of how much food costs! I’ve always been a cook, but not necessarily money conscious. So, this helps! Thanks for the great ideas and tips
All I would add is, “Don’t throw out that pot likker!” I was skeptical but finally started saving the water I cooked beans in and used it to make soup later. Amazing how much flavor it added. The only problem I have with cooking beans in my crockpot is I often cook them overnight and wake up with a rumbling stomach from the yummy smells!
Cooking my own beans is one of the last frontiers of diy home cooking for me…but for some reason I’ve had a hard time getting on to it and have only done it a couple of times. Reading this entry reminded me that I really need to get on to this. Good suggestion on the freezing! After the holidays I’m definitely going to make a big batch.
My boyfriend and I are vegetarians on a budget, and dried beans are one of our go-to foods. We usually cook up a pound or two of beans each week. We’ll measure out what we’ll be using for recipes that week and put them in the fridge, and freeze the rest in their cooking liquid in two cup containers to use later. By changing up the type of beans we cook each week, we eventually end up with a pretty well stocked freezer so we can easily make things like three-bean loaf and different chilies.
Another of the many great things about beans is that different types can often be interchanged in recipes based on what you have on hand. You obviously wouldn’t want to make black bean soup with kidney beans or hummus with pintos (because then it’s just bean dip!), but there are a lot of cases where swapping out one bean for another will not hurt your recipe at all. Flexibility is one of the keys to keeping it cooking costs down and waste to a minimum, after all.
Thanks so much for this. I have been too lazy to cook my own beans, even though I love black beans so I buy a bunch of the canned ones – but love that I can make them in the slow cooker and control the sodium!
Thanks for this. I really didn’t know that you could pre-cook your beans and then freeze them. I love this idea. I thinks it’s healthier too….I keep reading about health risks from eating food from cans that are lined with a plastic liner…and I noticed this liner in some of my cans of beans. So not only is it cheaper but it might be better for you too.
Just one more reason to love (LOVE!) my slow cooker!
Isn’t it great how easy it is to cook dried beans in the crockpot. They pretty much cook themselves.
Bethany is right about the red kidney beans. They should be soaked and then parboiled for 10 minutes (although the sources I read said there hasn’t been as much of an issue with this in the United States as in other countries.) I edited my post to add that information after a reader alerted me about it.
I’ve read that older slow cookers ran hotter than newer ones, so they would often boil their contents. My guess is that this is why the United States had less of an issue with kidney beans, and currently it seems that most people just use canned beans.
Beth, would you please put a note in the main body of this post with the kidney bean rules? I worry that someone will miss the comments section and get sick.
Thanks! I thought I had! It must be a different recipe that I added the note. I’ll do that ASAP.
Soaking beans usually eliminates the gassy after effects…
Be careful if you use kidney/red beans. Those require parboiling to kill toxins in them as part of the long soak. Otherwise you’ll have serious digestive upset and certain people can get quite ill.
Thanks for the tips, Beth. Now I can’t wait for the black bean soup recipe. One question I had was what do I do when a recipe calls for the canned beans + liquid? That’s always been my hesitation about cooking my own beans
I use dried beans almost exclusively – the turning point for me was the 90 minute no-soak recipe (I use this http://thepauperedchef.com/2009/06/90-minute-no-soak-beans.html ) Over the course of a day – once every 6-8 weeks, I’ll make 3-4 kinds of beans over the weekend (if I had more than 2 good heavy pots this would be even faster), turn them into individual servings and freeze. They’re ready for soup, main dishes, whatever.
One thing I had always been told was to freeze beans with enough of the cooking liquid to cover them so they don’t dry out. Since I use mine pretty quickly, I don’t know that it makes a big difference though.
Wow! Excellent advice, thanks! I can’t imagine cooking for TWO DAYS…. whew.
The only thing I want to be sure people are aware of is that if you have water with a lot of calcium in it (like in the Chicago suburbs), you may want to filter your water first or buy bottled water for cooking beans.
I recently moved to the midwest and as I was broke after the move, the first thing I cooked was a pot of beans. I put in the crockpot as I always do and never got them as soft as I wanted them even after cooking them for two days. I found from an article on NPR that calcium inhibits the beans from getting soft. The article can be found here: http://www.npr.org/2010/11/18/131418960/burned-garlic-and-other-kitchen-quandaries-solved
I am going to try filtered water on the next pot so hopefully the beans will soften up like I like them. I just can’t bring myself to spend the money on canned beans.
wow….I wonder if this was my problem..twice…I thought maybe the beans were old…but it happened again. I never have the trouble cooking them on stove top though.
WOW..I wonder if this is my problem. I have tried twice in the crockpot. I don’t have trouble on the stove though…