Cook Your Own Beans

The following Everyday Savings Tip comes from, Carrie:

Instead of purchasing canned beans (pinto, black, kidney, chickpea, great northern, etc.) buy the dry beans for much less and cook them yourself.

Put the amount of beans you want to cook in water to soak. Make sure you have a little more than twice as much water as you have beans. If you add a teaspoon of baking soda, it will also de-gas the beans. Let them soak for a few hours. Drain that water off. This also washes the dry beans.

Transfer the beans to a slow cooker and again cover them with double the amount of water. Add in 1/8 an onion and a clove or two of crushed garlic and let them cook on low overnight. They'll be perfect in the morning.

Drain the and use the beans right away or freeze them in amounts you'd use in your cooking. Beans you cook yourself remain a protein whereas the canned ones are cooked so quickly and at such a high temperature that they're converted to more of a carbohydrate.

So, you save money and eat healthier at the same time. Beans are such a great staple for any Mexican dish, soups, homemade hummus, and more!

Last year was the first year I had ever made my own beans this way and they were more flavorful than the canned type, not to mention had much less sodium. I have only bought bagged beans ever since!

Here are 5 recipes that call for beans, may as well use dry beans in 'em:

1. Black Bean Coconut Brownies
2. Black Bean Guacamole Brownies (one can never have too many brownie recipes)
3. Black Bean Soup
4. Country 6-Bean Soup Mix
5. Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup

What do you make your own versus buy canned or pre-packaged?
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Read the other great Everyday Savings Tips here.

Cook Your Own Beans

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• Author: Savings Lifestyle: Andrea

Ingredients

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• desired amount of beans
• a teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/8 an onion
• a clove or two of crushed garlic

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Instructions

1. Make sure you have a little more than twice as much water as you have beans.
2. If you add a teaspoon of baking soda, it will also de-gas the beans.
3. Let them soak for a few hours. Drain that water off. This also washes the dry beans.
4. Transfer the beans to a slow cooker and again cover them with double the amount of water.
5. Add in 1/8 an onion and a clove or two of crushed garlic and let them cook on low overnight.