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Black beans take a long time to cook, but those little bombshells of flavor are completely worth the effort. All you'll need to make these delicious beans is a sturdy dish, simmering water, and, of course, black beans.
Steps
Washing the Beans
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Sort the beans. Go through your bag and remove stones, damaged beans and other unwanted foreign material. Most bags of beans don’t have any stones, but its always good to be safe.- You may use canned beans or dried beans. Wash the beans in a colander,then place them in a pot on the stove over medium high heat and stir. Canned beans need only be warmed, not cooked through.
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Soak dried beans in cold water. Soaking the beans reduces cooking time, and helps the beans retain nutrients. It also helps to break down complex sugars on the outside of the bean that cause people to get gas). Pour the dried beans into a large bowl. Fill with water until the beans are fully covered. Soak beans at least four hours.
- If possible, soak the beans overnight. This will greatly reduce cooking time.
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Rinse the beans. Add the beans to a large saucepan or Dutch oven about 4 US quarts (4,000 ml) in size. If you are using a saucepan, use one that is heavy and durable.Advertisement
Cooking the Beans
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Add water to the pot. There should be an inch of water above the beans. Cook over medium-high heat.[1]
- A tablespoon of any seaweed like kombu reduces beans' flatulence effect.
- A tablespoon of any seaweed like kombu reduces beans' flatulence effect.
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Boil beans for 2 minutes
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Reduce the heat to low and let the beans simmer with or without a lid:
- If you are keeping your beans harder, like for use in salads or pasta dishes, leave the top off.
- If you are using them in soups, casseroles or burritos you want them to be softer, so cook them with the lid on but keep the lid slightly ajar.
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Check the beans. After cooking for an hour, begin checking the softness of the beans. Depending on the age of the beans, it may take one or two hours to cook. Remove beans from the heat, pour into a colander, and serve.[2]Advertisement
What to Do with Your Beans
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Make delicious vegan burgers. Black beans can be transformed into a tasty vegan burger.
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Try something Cuban. This recipe for Cuban black bean soup will warm you on the coldest of days.
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Add black beans to your salsa. Nothing adds a bit of excitement to plain salsa like the addition of delicious black beans.Advertisement
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow long do you soak the black beans before cooking?
Community AnswerOvernight is best. If not overnight, then at least one hour - but expect the beans to need much longer to cook through. -
QuestionDo black beans in the can take long to cook?
Community AnswerNo, canned black beans don't take long to cook at all. They can be heated on the stove top in a few minutes. -
QuestionHow should I season the beans?
Community AnswerWhat you put in the beans really depends upon your particular tastes. You could add salt, cumin, chili powder, or even garlic.
Video
Tips
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Add salt or spices boost flavor of beans.Thanks
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You can freeze cooked beans in small packages, to thaw and use as needed.Thanks
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Add summer savory to reduce the gassy effect of eating beans.Thanks
Things You'll Need
- Black beans, dried or canned
- Water
- Dutch oven or large saucepan
- Colander to rinse the beans
References
About this article
Before cooking black beans, sort them to remove any debris and soak them in cold water for at least 4 hours to reduce the cooking time. Then, place the beans in a large pot over a medium-high heat with at least 1 inch of water above the beans. After the beans boil for 2 minutes, reduce the heat to low, and let the beans simmer for about 1 hour. Cook the beans without a lid for a crunchier bean or with a lid for a softer bean. For tips on how to check if your beans are finished, read on!
Reader Success Stories
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"This article is helping me save money because dried beans are much cheaper (and lower in sodium) than the canned ones. Making my own black bean burgers is also a lot cheaper and healthier than buying them!"..." more
