Storing beans

[Chicknladee]

When you store beans do you store them dry or canned? I have cans of beans I bought when they were on sale and I have dry beans. But I wondered if I should can some of my beans for storage. I know if they are canned they are easier to prepare later (or just eat if necessary) and will require less water to prepare later. However, my supply of canning jars is more limited than my supply of mylar bags. What do you all do?

 

[old_anorak]

I store them both ways. I plan to stay put. We also have our own water source so water isn't necessarily a huge issue for cooking, but time might be. You might also store some quicker cooking dried beans such as chick peas, lentils, and split peas. Yeah, I know, the peas aren't beans, but they're tasty.

 

[Chicknladee]

We don't have a water source other than our home well...if our power goes out we have no water :-( There is a river 1/2mile down the road but that isn't a solution.
I'm fairly new to the world of beans...I've developed a liking for many beans but I'm still working on peas and lentils...All my life I THOUGHT I didn't like peas/lentils so I'm trying to them now.

 

[old_anorak]

Well, I've tried lentils and as far as I'm concerned, they're still chicken feed! LOL! Now I love some good split pea soup with ham, a diced carrot and a diced onion tossed in there for flavor. I do the same with navy or great northern beans and add left over mashed potatoes or a bit of dried potato flakes just before done to thicken up good. I can eat that for days. If I'm going to be canning it, I don't thicken it until I'm ready to eat it and you don't have to even then, it's just my preference.

 

[WilliamAshley]

I prefer dry beans so they can be planted. IMO always use seed if you can, canned foods will be safer for long term storage though. but beans kept in a dry area ziplock, sealed container, mylar bag etc.. should last perhaps 3 years the age of the seed will depend on how long you will be abel to turn it into sprouts or plant. remember beans are seeds, you can kill two birds with one stone by storing seedcrop as your food source, since you can eat it in an emergency and plant it each year to have a garden, for relatively low cost.

examples, corn, beans, lentils, wheatgrass seed, oats, etc..

lentils make great sprouts, I love lentils fresh they are a bit like a pea.

the sprouts are tastey, and they are a smart food good for cognition.

 

[Haloray]

I like dried food rather than cans because its easier to carry/transport. Cans are so heavy.

 

[old_anorak]

The only problem with a lot of dried foods is that you need a lot more water.

 

[jimLE]

true about dry foods needing more water..(but) they sure can come in handy when needed.on one episode of doomsday preppers one couple would put thier rice bean or what other dry food that needed baging up.theyd put it into a dry food bag right along with a hand warmer.then seal it shut and vacum out what air they could.and the hand warmer with finish off what air is left.then they put it into a bucket of some kind..then hand warmer wont warm up again untill the bag is opened up..that adds to the self life of the dry food.pluse mouths or what ever most n likely wont get into it when its stored a long time.

 

[old_anorak]

Very true, but you do have to remember something when you store beans for more than a year or so dry. The older they are, the harder they are until they are basically like cooking rocks. Seriously, I've had some beans that cooked for DAYS and never got soft.

 

[DannyboyDS]

You could force them to absorb water again by crushing them into a powder in a morter and pestle and make something like mashed potatoes with it, or bean curd maybe.

Either way it would still have some nutritional value.

 

[old_anorak]

Yes, if you grind them, you get a bean flour that you can add to regular flour for extra protein or to other foods.

 

[jimLE]

one thing my mom has done before after washing them.she'd put them into water and just let them soak over night.then cook them..only reason i can think of for her doing that.because of how dry they were,or for added flavor,which i dubt.

 

[old_anorak]

Soak time does indeed shorten how long you need to cook them and you can also add a spoonful of baking soda to help with the gas issue. The regular overnight soak is normal for the beans that you get at your market, now for beans you've had stored for several years, you'll need to soak them for several days and change the water daily so it does not begin to ferment. I've kept dry beans as long as 7 years and cooked them and they did take forever and they were never what I would call tender.

Another trick to tender beans, don't add your salt at the beginning of your cooking time, the salt toughens the skins.

 

[Haloray]

I think I am going to need a note pad to remember all these great tips

 

[old_anorak]

For me, it was growing up at my Mama's, Granny's, Mam's, and Greatgrannie's knees. I learned to cook on a woodstove at a very young age. Explained to my kindergarten teacher how to make and cut biscuits and she told my Mom I was telling tales in class. That went over like a lead balloon.

 

[WILD MAN]

Beans, Granny's cut biscuits y'all are make'n me hungry....

 

[jimLE]

good thing im eating a choped beef sanwhich n tater chips.mmmmmmmm yummy