BEAN & PULSE PREPARATION
One simple truth to remember is that beans, which are a member of the pulse family, are very easy to prepare.
Yield
|
Beans (1 cup) |
Water |
Cooking Time |
Adzuki |
4 cups |
45-55 minutes |
Anasazi* |
4 cups |
45-55 minutes |
Black-Eyed Peas* |
2” above beans |
30-40 minutes |
Black Turtle* |
3 cups |
1 hour 15 mins |
Cannellini* |
2” above beans |
30-40 minutes |
Cranberry* |
3 cups |
45 minutes |
Fava* |
4 cups |
40-50 mins |
Garbanzo* |
3 cups |
2-3 hours |
Great Northern* |
3 cups |
1.5-2 hours |
Kidney* |
3 cups |
1.5 hours |
Lentils |
3 cups |
30-45 minutes |
Lima* |
3 cups |
1 hour |
Mung* |
3 cups |
45-60 minutes |
Navy* |
3 cups |
1.5 hours |
Pinto* |
3 cups |
1.5 hours |
Soy Beans* |
3 cups |
3-4 hours |
Split Peas |
3 cups |
40-50 minutes |
* Soak beans in water 4-8 hours before cooking.
Cooking Tips
Before preparing dried beans, sort through them thoroughly to remove tiny pebbles or other debris.
Soaking allows the dried beans to absorb water, which shortens cooking time and aids in digestibility. They will nearly triple in size while soaking. Soak most beans in three times their volume of cold water for six hours before cooking.
For easier digestion of cooked beans, discard the soaking water and add fresh water for cooking. Do not add salt or acidic ingredients (vinegar, tomatoes) when cooking, as the beans will take longer to cook. Add these after the beans have become tender.
Bring beans to a boil, lower heat, and simmer. Check for tenderness when nearing the recommended cooking time. Test a few beans – when they can be easily mashed they are done. Dried beans may also be cooked in a pressure cooker.
Store cooked beans in the refrigerator for up to four days. They may also be frozen.
Note: Selection varies in each store and some of our Markets may offer a wider variety of beans than shown here.