Bean There, Done That

The very full colander of beans

      I didn't feel like going to the market, yet peeking in my refrigerator indicated that we were on "Old Mother Hubbard" alert.  Fortunately it wasn't the cupboards that were getting bare, just the fridge.  I decided to raid the pantry to come up with something for us to eat.  I had a bag of kidney beans from the co-op that had been kicking around for months.  I had stocked up on an assortment of goodies from the bulk aisle yet every time I went to make chili, soup or anything that required beans, I always opted for canned beans to get the job done quicker.  I had never planned ahead to let the beans soak overnight.  It was time to let the beans out of the bag rather than having to face the Sunday grocery crowd.
    I opted for my Betty Crocker Cookbook  rather than sorting through a bunch of clippings in my "New Recipes" binder on how to prepare dried beans.   Their directions were for 1 cup of dried beans to make 2 cups prepared beans.  I poured the whole bag in the pot figuring I could use the beans in chili, salad, soup, or freeze half the batch.  I didn't soak them overnight, but used the quick boil method. My bag of beans produced 9 cups of prepared beans.  That's a lot of raw material for meals! 

Preparing Dried Kidney Beans  
from Betty Crocker Cookbook Bridal Edition

Sort beans, rinse and drain. Place 1 cup legumes in 3 to 4 quart saucepan. Add enough cold water (about 3 to 4 cups) to cover beans. Heat to boiling. Boil uncovered 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer (do not boil or beans will burst), stirring occasionally for 1 to 2 hours or until tender.