Black Beans and Black Eye Beans

November 9, 2007

I went to our organic health shop today and purchased a kilo each of

black beans and black eye beans, I wanted pinto beans too but they

didn't have any at the moment. I have never cooked these before so

would really appreciate someone telling me how to cook them please, I

believe they have to be soaked over night first, correct?

And perhaps some recipes using same or point me in the right direct

where I can find some please.

I love the recipes I have been receiving from this group and have now

tried quite a few and am having fun googling veges I have never heard

of to see what they look like, there have been two or three vegetables

unknown to me ) It also tickles me from what I have read how you

use pumpkin as a dessert, we only make soup out of it or steam, boil or

bake/roast it as a vegetable LOL, I love roast pumpkin, it is so

interesting what other countries do differently to us.

Many thanks

Leigh

New Zealand

November 9, 2007

My mother made sweet potato pies (better than pumpkin in my opinion)

and yellow squash pie that also turned out similar to pumpking or sweet

potato. YUMMY!

Valerie in FL

November 9, 2007

Hi Leigh,

I forget where I got this bean table but I find it handy What

kinds of dried beans do you most typically have in New Zealand?

There's a website called Cook's Thesaurus which is also good for

identifying new veggies & ingredients - I use it all the time with

this group!

Peace,

Diane

ps If this table doesn't print well I have it in a .doc & could email

you offlist if you like.

Beans (soaked) Saucepan Pressure Cooker at 15 Lb.

Black Beans 1 to 1½ hours 5 to 8 Min.

Garbanzo Beans 1 to 1½ hours 5 to 7 Min.

Great Northerns 1 to 1½ hours 5 to 7 Min.

Lima Beans, Large 45 to 60 minutes Not Recommended

Lima Beans, Baby 1 hour Not Recommended

Navy or Small Whites 1 to 1½ hours 5 to 8 Min.

Pink Beans 1 to 1½ hours 6 to 8 Min.

Pinto Beans 1 to 1½ hours 5 to 7 Min.

Red Beans 1 to 1½ hours 6 to 8 Min.

Red Kidney Beans 1 to 1½ hours 5 to 8 Min.

Soybeans 3 hours 12 to 15 Min.

Beans (not soaked) Saucepan Pressure Cooker*

Black-Eyed Peas 1 to 1½ hours Not Recommended

Lentils 30 to 45 minutes Not Recommended

Split Peas, Green30 to 45 minutes Not Recommended

In general, the larger the bean, the longer they need to soak: and the

longer you soak beans, the faster they cook.

Use this guide to gauge how much dried beans to cook.

1/3 cup dry beans 1 cup cooked beans

1/2 cup dry beans 1 1/2 cups cooked beans

2/3 cup dry beans 2 cup cooked beans

1 cup dry beans 3 cups cooked beans

2 cups (1 pound) dry beans 6 cups cooked beans

Before preparing dried beans, sort through them thoroughly for tiny

pebbles or other debris.

Soaking the Beans:

Soaking beans allows the dried beans to absorb water, which begins to

dissolve the starches that cause intestinal discomfort. While beans

are soaking they are also double to tripling in their size. (You can

cook beans without soaking, but it takes longer, and some people think

the beans taste better when soaked.)

Soak most beans in three times their volume of cold water for six

hours before cooking.

NOTE: Split peas and lentils don't need to be soaked. They take about

30 minutes to cook,

Dried beans are often soaked too long. Most recipes say overnight. The

best way is to put them in cold water; bring them gently to a boil and

then with saucepan off the heat, allow them to remain in the water for

1 to 2 hours only.

Do not add salt or acidic ingredients, like vinegar, tomatoes or

juice, this will slow the cooking process. Instead, add these

ingredients when the beans are just tender.

If soaked too long, they may ferment, which affects their flavor and

makes them difficult to digest. NOTE: To help in the digestion of

beans, always discard the water in which they were soaked.

Cooking the Beans:

The best cookware for beans is a heavy metal pot or saucepan.

Stainless steel, cast aluminum, or cast iron are all excellent.

Bring the beans to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer for 60

to 90 minutes, or until the beans are tender. (Check your package of

beans, as cooking times vary for different varieties. But also check

the beans occasionally, because sometimes the beans will cook more

quickly than the package says.) NOTE: When cooking beans, always

simmer. Boiling can cause the cooking liquid to overflow, as well as

the beans to break apart and the skins to separate.

High Altitude: As altitude increases, dried beans take more time to

rehydrate and cook. The difference begins to be noticeable above 3,500

feet.

Oven Baking: Baking in the hot dry air of the oven is a slow process,

but it's the only way to create the wonderful glazed, crusty top

characteristic of baked beans and bean pot casseroles. Traditional

containers for baking beans are earthenware bean pots, usually 3 or 3½

quart size. The pot and lid should be glazed at least on the inside

and must be lead-free. You can also use glass or ceramic casseroles.

When dried beans boil, a foam forms on the top of the cooking liquid.

This foam is water-soluble protein released from the beans and it

will be absorbed back into the bean cooking liquid. It is not

necessary to remove the foam.

Beans are done when they can be easily mashed between two fingers or

with a fork. Always test a few beans in case they have not cooked evenly

Beans taste better if cooked a day ahead, but they should be

refrigerated to avoid becoming sour. When cooked, they can be frozen.

Store cooked beans for up to four days in your refrigerator.

, " Leigh " <t.lbaker wrote:

>

> I went to our organic health shop today and purchased a kilo each of

> black beans and black eye beans, I wanted pinto beans too but they

> didn't have any at the moment. I have never cooked these before so

> would really appreciate someone telling me how to cook them please, I

> believe they have to be soaked over night first, correct?

> And perhaps some recipes using same or point me in the right direct

> where I can find some please.

> I love the recipes I have been receiving from this group and have now

> tried quite a few and am having fun googling veges I have never heard

> of to see what they look like, there have been two or three vegetables

> unknown to me ) It also tickles me from what I have read how you

> use pumpkin as a dessert, we only make soup out of it or steam, boil or

> bake/roast it as a vegetable LOL, I love roast pumpkin, it is so

> interesting what other countries do differently to us.

> Many thanks

> Leigh

> New Zealand

>

November 9, 2007

Diane, if it's not too much trouble I would like a copy of that list also.

Thanks,

Di

strayfeather1 <otherbox2001 wrote: