Tammy's Recipes

I don't ever think about dried beans.

I have a lot of freezer space, so I freeze cooked beans in 2-cup portions in reused margarine tubs. This didn't stop me from buying canned beans overnight since it took a while to accumulate them, but now to maintain my stocks every few weeks I cook up a batch of whatever sort of beans I'm low on for freezing. (Usually in my slow cooker.)

I believe currently there are chickpeas, black beans, lima beans, kidney beans, and navy beans in my freezer.

Nothing wrong with canned beans, but I wanted to switch to organic beans and organic canned beans are pricey!

I'm just getting ready to start using dried beans - my favorite bean is black, and those aren't available dried here. I have an order coming in via the food co-op I joined, and I can't wait!

I think I read somewhere that dried beans yield about 1:3, so a pound of dried beans would yield THREE POUNDS cooked. That's where your savings comes in, plus healthier without all that sodium.

At our Walmart, it is $1.66 for 2 lb of dried pinto beans, which is 26 servings, or $0.063 per serving. For store-brand canned pinto beans, it was $.52 for 3 1/2 servings, or $.1485 a serving. Even when bought on sale for $.40 (the cheapest sale I see around here), canned beans are still $.114 a serving. So canned beans are twice as expensive. They also create a lot more packaging to go in landfills.

Seriously, dried beans aren't that difficult. You can soak the night before, but you don't have to. The bags have quick-soak instructions that make it take about 3 hours start to finish to soak and cook beans. Or, I just boil for about 1 1/2-2 hours solid, and they're done.

Between the cost difference and the landfill waste generated, I don't use canned beans very often.

Heather (married in Aug '00, mom to 4 children under 7, with baby #5 due in early Jan '09!)

I never use canned beans. I just boil up a variety of different beans and freeze them in 2 cup containers. Works like a charm.

I used to always buy canned kidney beans when making chili, now I have been buying dry and cooking them myself.

So to save myself some time down the road, I am planning on home canning my own dry beans so that way when I am ready to make up a dish that uses beans I won't be tempted to purchase canned beans from the store since I have them already homecanned and on the shelf.

Dana

Anonymous:

I usually freeze mine in 2 cup portions in ziploc bags, but how do you home can these? I am just starting out in dried beans so this is the first time I hear about home canning~

Shervin

I have had a hard time switching to dried beans. They seem to come out tough for me. I am going to give it another try though. I am wondering if a lot of it is a matter of adjusting your tastebuds to it!

I always use dried beans. One reason is because they are cheaper and the other reason is because of the BHT (or whatever) in the cans. I also don't like that much aluminum on my food.

With that being said, this week I bought canned beans for the first time in a long time because this first trimester is not being nice to me, and I couldn't handle the soaking/cooking time. I needed quick meals. But aside from this one week, I always use dried.

Tammy-following up on your post regarding how many beans does a 5 lb bag make: one lb of beans cooks up to be 6 cups of beans. 6 cups x 5 lbs = 30 cups of beans. Note that the typical 15 oz can of beans holds 1 1/2 cups of beans, your 5 lb bag is equal to 20 cans of beans. The average price of 15 oz canned beans at the regular grocer is 89 cents/can-never mind organic, which is more like $1.39 and up! The discount grocer carries canned beans for about 50 cents/15 oz can. 20 cans of beans equals $10, I am certain that the dried 5 lb bag cost less! : )

I usually use canned beans (then I drain and rinse them). I'd use dried more, but usually don't have time or just forget to soak them.