Really, cooking beans from scratch is just that easy!

Dry beans, you find them in the relatively non-descript aisle at the the supermarket, usually positioned right next to the canned beans. You're probably saying to yourself, "why bother? the canned ones are here and ready to use." Truth be told I would have agreed with you a half dozen years ago too. Don't get me wrong, I use the canned variety regularly, and highly encourage everyone to always have a good selection of them in the pantry. They are definitely a "go-to" ingredient when you need a protein boost, in a snap. They are a great addition to salads and soups, bar none. However, every now and then it's nice to cook a pot of beans from scratch. Not only is it a cozy and gratifying experience, but what you end up with is a delicate full flavor creamy bean.

I know what you're saying: the soaking ... the cooking .. who has time?? The nice thing about cooking beans is they pretty much do it themselves with very little hands-on attention. They are the perfect thing to make on a Saturday morning while you're multi-tasking around the house.  Aside from the satisfaction you get, the cost value can't be beat! Two cups of dry beans equals about 8 cups cooked.

The first step is to soak them, and that happens the night before. Using a plastic container or glass bowl. Add cool water to your beans, in a 4:1 ratio. Set them up right before you go to bed on the counter or in the 'fridge. The next morning rinse them off  and place in a heavy bottom pot and fill with cool water about 3 inches above the beans. I like using a variety of a aromatics while cooking: celery , carrot, onion, garlic and thyme. "Aromatics" are ingredients you cook with that will add flavor, but will be discarded after they have served their purpose. You don't have to add them, it's just a nice add-on.

This is the part where you can walk away for a bit. Bring the pot to a rolling boil, lower to a medium boil and set your timer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes come back and check two things: first see if you need to add water, and second take one out and check the texture. You probably will need another 10-15 minutes of cooking. Just about every time I make beans, and soak for about 8 to 10 hours, the cooking time is 40 to 45 minutes. Once the beans are just slightly al dente I take them off the heat and remove the aromatics I used. The carryover cooking will finish them to perfection.

Now is the time to season them. If you remember my post a few weeks ago about cooking lentils, I mentioned that I learned to properly cook beans in the Tarry Lodge kitchen. Salt comes after the beans are cooked, not during. At that point you want to add a teaspoon at a time until you get the perfect flavor. Simply add and stir. Let them absorb the salt slowly, then taste. The amount of water in the pot, will determine the amount of salt you need. Just remember, you can add, but you can't remove - so patience in this step will be the big reward!

To finish reading this post and see my easy recipes to create this dish click here.