Lucky Seven Sweet Things about Dried Beans! Plus, Homemade Refried Beans, AND Bean Conversions!

Guess what has taken me FOREVER to finally come to love!?

BEST of DRIED BEANS!

#1 Beans of ANY kind are Super-NUTRIENT-Packed!

#2 CHEAP -- usually less than $2 per pound (I often buy bulk section of from Whole Foods -- spectacular VARIETY!)!

My latest deal is less than $1 per pound (Aldi)!

Assuming $2 per pound dried, you get 4 cans worth of cooked beans for $2!

Handy conversions between
dried, canned, and cooked beans!

#3 Free of SALT (some 14.5 oz cans get close to an entire day's recommended total!)
Here is a post from Andrew of Eating Rules showing how much sodium comes out with rinsing and draining, at best 45%!

#4 Free of the CHEMICALS added to canned beans to preserve them.
AS WELL AS chemicals on the plastic coating inside the can!

#5 Free of added SUGAR, ...and high fructose corn syrup, I found both in a huge (100 oz) can of beans at Gordon Foods!

#6 TASTE! Though I have never been disappointed with the taste of canned beans, and beans are often added to other tasty foods anyway, warm, freshly prepared dried beans taste, wholesome, creamy, and delightful!

#7 EASY -- this is the most surprising bonus of dried beans!  Some time savers: you DON'T have to OPEN cans, or rinse and drain cooked beans.  While you should rinse dried beans, cleaning the strainer afterward is a cinch with dried beans (compared to cooked beans)!

SO how to do it?  I thank 100 Days of Real Food for their simple recipe!

Here is what I do:

Homemade Refried Beans

(Note: there is nothing fried about these beans!)

1 pound (2 c) dried pinto beans, rinsed (substitute almost any bean* you wish in this recipe!)
6 c water (you could also just add water until the water is 1-2" above the bean level)

Cook everything overnight (or all day) on high in a slow cooker.

Onions and garlic are nutritious and delicious addition (1-2 onions, halved, and 2 cloves garlic).

OR you can use only dry spices: dried onion, garlic, and cumin (around one Tbsp of each, stirred up with the beans and water)

Blend to desired smoothness and enjoy!

Homemade Refried Beans

For other types of beans, you will probably omit the blending, except chickpeas for hummus.

*KIDNEY beans need to be boiled for 10 min first, then rinsed, to rid them of a toxin.

This it a great technique for Heavenly Hummus (note above conversions)!
As well as black beans for 2-Minute Friday Night Dinner (Ha! ...slow cooker for 2-minute dinner!)!

PS- lentils are lovely! No soaking or hours of cooking ever needed! TRY this: Hearty Lentil Soup!

COMMENTS: what kind of posts are your favorite here at fresh-you? Thanks for sharing!