Cooking Tip # 18
“Crumble a few pieces of cooked bacon and mix into your refried beans.” – Heather
Cooking Tip # 17
While pinto beans are often seasoned with cumin, jalapeño, chile pepper, and cilantro, they are equally as delicious with Cajun seasonings. Just don’t forget the garlic and onion!
Cooking Tip # 16
“I boil a few packs of garbanzos and store them in small bags in the freezer, so I can throw together hummus quickly, whenever I want.” – Heidi H.
Cooking Tip # 15
If you’re using seasoning meat for flavor (seasoning meat can be pretty salty), it’s best to wait till your beans are finished cooking before tasting and adding more salt. You might just find that none is needed.
Cooking Tip # 14
“Take a big spoon and mash some beans on the inside of the pot to make them creamier.” – Stephen Peychaud
Cooking Tip # 13
“Save some bacon drippings to add to your lima beans for a nice smoky flavor.” – Rubie Hampton
Cooking Tip # 12
“Cook your limas with just your vegetables, meats and herbs. Save the salt and acidic seasonings for after they’re nice and soft.” – Dorothy
Cooking Tip # 11
“For a delicately tart, complex flavor, add a squeeze from a fresh lemon (no seeds) to your cooked butter beans!” – Heather
Cooking Tip # 10
Don’t boil beans for more than a few minutes. Simmer them instead. Boiling beans for too long will make them too mushy.
Cooking Tip # 9
It’s true that if you soak your beans, your cooking time will decrease slightly — but by how much really depends on the bean type; sometimes it’s just a matter of cutting 15 minutes off, sometimes it’s more.
Cooking Tip # 8
Quick, low-fat brownies: Use black bean puree in place of eggs and oil when using brownie mix. To puree beans, measure 1 1/2 cups cooked, rinsed, and drained beans. Add 1-2 tablespoons water and puree till smooth.
Cooking Tip # 7
To save money, cook dry beans without any seasoning, and then freeze them for future use in recipes.
Cooking Tip # 6
The way to achieve the perfectly creamy texture of New Orleans-style red beans is to mash a few against the side of the pot with your large spoon during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Cooking Tip # 4
Bean math: A (1-pound) package Camellia Brand dry beans = 5-6 cups cooked beans, drained.
Cooking Tip # 3
Bean math: 1 (15-ounce) can beans = 1 ½ cups cooked beans, drained.