Dry Bean Cooking Basics

Cooking EDEN Dry Beans from scratch is quite easy, and well worth it. A great comfort from their enticing aroma and a rich, deliciousness warms us as a pot of beans or bean soup is cooked and enjoyed. A kitchen tested recipe is on the back of each box of EDEN Dry Beans. For ideas and many free recipes visit edenfoods.com/recipes

Sorting

Measure the amount of dry beans you want to cook. One cup will expand 2½ to 3 times when cooked. Before soaking and cooking dry beans, visually hand inspect them.

Washing

Place sorted beans in a bowl and cover with cold water. Swish the beans around and remove any beans that float to the surface. Pour off the water. Repeat rinse until the water runs clear. Place beans in a colander or strainer and rinse under cold water. Rinse the bowl and place the beans back into it for soaking.

Soaking

Most beans require several hours of soaking. See Soaking Time Chart below. Add enough cold water to cover 3 inches above the beans. Soak for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Discard the soaking water, and rinse again.

OR

Place in a pot with 3 inches of water covering the beans, bring to a boil, and turn off heat. Let the beans sit for an hour-and-a-half. Discard soaking water.

Boiling Method

Place washed and soaked beans in a heavy pot with 3 cups of water per 1 cup of soaked beans. Bring to a boil, boil uncovered for about 10 minutes, skim off any foam that may form. Vegetables and spices can be added at this point, if desired. EDEN Kombu Sea Vegetable will help soften their skin and accentuate flavor. Add a one-inch kombu strip for each cup of dry beans. Do not add sea salt until 80 percent done. Salt added at the beginning of cooking prevents beans from fully softening. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, adding water to just cover as needed. When 80 percent done, season with about ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon EDEN Sea Salt per cup of dry beans. Cover and simmer for several more minutes or until tender.

Note: At higher altitudes the cooking time needed can increase a lot.

Pressure Cooking Method

Place washed and soaked beans in a pressure cooker, add 2 to 2½ cups of water per 1 cup of soaked beans. If making soup, add 3 or 4 cups of water per cup of beans and a one-inch strip of EDEN Kombu Sea Vegetable for each cup of beans. Add the seasonings and vegetables, except sea salt, at the start of cooking. Cover the cooker, bring up the pressure, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cooking times vary depending on the type of pressure cooker. Please follow your pressure cooker’s suggested time. When done, remove from heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Do not place cooker under cold water to accelerate cooling, this may damage the cooker. After all the pressure has been released, remove the lid. Add sea salt and simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes.

Seasoning

Do not add sea salt, soy sauce, miso, or other salty seasonings at the beginning of cooking. This prevents the beans from cooking properly, and can significantly increase the needed cooking time. Wait until the beans are about 80% done before adding salty seasonings. Acidic ingredients such as tomatoes or tomato puree added at the beginning of cooking may also hinder softening, and should be added toward the end of cooking. Herbs and spices can be added toward the end of cooking.

Cooking Times

* or overnight