From the royal tombs of ancient Egypt to the Old Testament cultivation,
preparation, and consumption of beans are recognized. In some Eastern
cultures, legumes were a basic dietary staple that can be traced back more
than 20,000 years. The lima and pinto bean were cultivated for the first
time in the very earliest Mexican and Peruvian civilizations more than
5,000 years ago, being popular in both the Aztec and Inca cultures.
The United States is by far the world leader in dry bean production.
Each year, U.S. farmers plant from 1.5 to 1.7 million acres of edible dry
beans. And while Americans are the chief consumers of these beans, 40
percent are shipped to international markets in more than 100 different
countries around the globe.
How do beans fit into your healthy diet? Beans are often thought of as a
side dish; however, they make excellent meat-free entrees. You don't have
to be vegetarian to reap the benefits of legumes—start slowly, eating
beans instead of meat twice a week.
Before eating legumes, there are few things to know:
Dried Beans are not complete proteins
Beans alone are not complete proteins, but combined with a grain are as
complete as a meal. So it is important to eat beans with other grain
products.
Legumes may cause intestinal discomfort
You can minimize this effect by changing the soaking water several times
when you prepare dried beans, or switching to canned beans. When canned,
some of the gas-producing substances are eliminated. Be sure to rinse the
beans well to wash off excess salt. Another option is BeanoTM, which
contains an enzyme that breaks down gas-producing substances in the beans.
Eating legumes means, drinking more fluids
As you include more beans into your meals, it's important to drink
adequate fluids and exercise regularly so that your gastrointestinal
system can handle the increased dietary fiber.
So, which bean to choose from? There are hundreds of varieties of
beans. Try one of these:
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Adzuki Beans are small, with a vivid red color, solid
flavor and texture. Originally from Asia, its name means
"little bean" in Japanese. Its red colouring - red being
the most important colour in Eastern celebrations - means that it is
greatly used in festive or special meals. |
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Large Lima Bean are large and flat with a greenish-white
color. It has a buttery flavor and creamy texture. This bean is
named after Lima, Peru, and is extremely popular in the Americas,
both in its natural state and dried. |
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Pink Beans have beautiful pink color and is very popular in
the countries of the Caribbean. Pink beans are of medium size
(similar to the Great Northern and the Pinto) and have a refined
texture and delicate flavor. |
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Green Baby Lima Beans come from Peru and are very popular
in the Americas. The baby variety is much loved in Japan for making
desserts from bean paste known as "an." These are
medium-sized flat beans with a greenish white color, buttery flavor,
and creamy texture. |
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Small Red Beans are particularly popular in the Caribbean
region, where they are normally eaten with rice. Dark red in color,
small red beans are also smoother in taste and texture than the dark
red kidney bean. |
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Dark Red Kidney Beans are large and kidney-shaped with a
deep glossy red color. They have a solid flavor and texture. These
beans are produced mainly in the northern U.S.A. and owes its
popularity in America and Europe to its large size, bright color and
solid texture. |
|
Black Beans are sweet tasting with an almost mushroom-like
flavor and soft floury texture. These beans are medium sized, oval,
with a matt black color. They are the most popular beans in the
Costa Rica and Cuba. |
|
Light Red Kidney Beans have a solid texture and flavor.
They are characterized by their large, kidney-shape with a pink
color. This bean is popular in the Caribbean region as well as in
Portugal and Spain for its similarity to the canela bean. |
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Navy Beans are small, white and oval with a refined texture
and delicate flavor. These are the beans used for the famous Boston
and English baked beans. Because their skin and fine texture do not
break up on cooking. These beans were named for their part of the
U.S. Navy diet during the second half of the 19th Century. |
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Cranberry Beans are known for their creamy texture with a
flavor similar to chestnuts. Cranberry beans are rounded with red
specks, which disappear on cooking. These beans are a favorite in
northern Italy and Spain. You can find them fresh in their pods in
Autumn. They also freeze well. |
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Black-eyed Beans have a scented aroma, creamy texture and
distinctive flavor. These beans are characterized by their kidney
shaped, white skin with a small black eye and very fine wrinkles.
Originally from Africa, it is one of the most widely dispersed beans
in the world. Black-eyed peas are really a type of pea, which gives
it its distinctive flavor and rapid cooking potential, with no
pre-soaking needed. |
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Pinto Beans are the most widely produced bean in the United
States and is one of the most popular in the Americas. It also
contains the most fiber of all beans. Characteristically known by
their medium size oval shape, with speckled reddish brown over a
pale pink base and solid texture and flavor. |
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Great Northern Beans are a North American bean, which is
popular in France for making cassoulet (a white bean casserole) and
in the whole Mediterranean where many beans of a similar appearance
are cultivated. These beans have a delicate flavor, thin skin, and
are flat, kidney shaped, medium-sized white beans. |
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Garbanzo Beans or chickpeas are the most widely consumed
legume in the world. Originating in the Middle East, they have a
firm texture with a flavor somewhere between chestnuts and walnuts.
Garbanzo beans are usually pale yellow in color. In India there are
red, black, and brown chickpeas. |
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Adzuki |
Black |
Black-eyed |
Cranberry |
Calories |
110 |
110 |
80 |
120 |
Calories From Fat |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Total Fat |
1g |
0g |
0g |
0g |
Cholesterol |
0mg |
0mg |
0mg |
0mg |
Sodium |
0mg |
0mg |
0mg |
0mg |
Carbohydrates |
62g |
20g |
18g |
22g |
Dietary Fiber |
13g |
7g |
6g |
9g |
Protein |
7 |
8g |
14g |
8g |
Vitamin A |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
Vitamin C |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
Calcium |
6% |
2% |
2% |
4% |
Iron |
25% |
10% |
10% |
10% |
|
|
Garbanzo |
Great Northern |
Kidney |
Lima |
Calories |
130 |
100 |
110 |
120 |
Calories From Fat |
20 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Total Fat |
2g |
0g |
0g |
0g |
Cholesterol |
0mg |
0mg |
0mg |
0mg |
Sodium |
5mg |
0mg |
0mg |
0mg |
Carbohydrates |
22g |
19g |
20g |
20g |
Dietary Fiber |
6g |
6g |
6g |
7g |
Protein |
7g |
7g |
8g |
7g |
Vitamin A |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
Vitamin C |
2% |
2% |
2% |
0% |
Calcium |
4% |
6% |
4% |
2% |
Iron |
15% |
10% |
10% |
10% |
|
|
Pink |
Pinto |
Navy |
Small Red |
Calories |
130 |
120 |
130 |
310 |
Calories From Fat |
5 |
5 |
5 |
10 |
Total Fat |
0g |
1g |
1g |
1g |
Cholesterol |
0mg |
0mg |
0mg |
0mg |
Sodium |
0mg |
0mg |
0mg |
20mg |
Carbohydrates |
24g |
22g |
24g |
55g |
Dietary Fiber |
4g |
8g |
10g |
6g |
Protein |
8g |
8g |
7g |
22g |
Vitamin A |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
Vitamin C |
0% |
2% |
2% |
6% |
Calcium |
4% |
4% |
5% |
15% |
Iron |
10% |
10% |
10% |
40% |
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With so many bean varieties to choose from, you'll now need to learn
how to cook them. There are two steps to cooking beans: soaking and
cooking. Soaking beans allows the dried beans to absorb water, which
begins to dissolve the starches that cause intestinal discomfort. While
beans are soaking they are also double to tripling in their size. Cooking
the beans makes them edible and digestible.
Ready to soak and cook some beans?
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Blackeyes are a little
different... |
The soaking/cooking method is applicable for
most of the beans mentioned. However, recent experimentation has
shown there is a better way for cooking blackeyes.
Rather than soaking blackeyes, cover the beans with sufficient water
and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Discard water and cook in beef,
chicken, or vegetable broth. If your recipe calls for other
ingredients, add them to the broth and beans mixture just as if you
were cooking with plain water. Cooking time is about 45 minutes. Try
it. Even long-term blackeye fans might prefer this cooking method. |
|
|
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Note: Lentils, split peas and black-eyed peas do not need to be soaked.
Pick through the beans, discarding any discolored or shriveled beans or
any foreign matter. Rinse well.
There are four ways to soak beans, depending on how far in advance you
plan and how much time you have, you can decide which method of soaking
will work best for you.
Traditional Slow Soak: In a stockpot, cover 1 pound dried beans
with 10 cups water. Cover and refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain
and rinse the beans.
Hot Soak: In a stockpot, bring 10 cups water to a boil. Add 1
pound dried beans and return to a boil. Remove from the heat; cover
tightly and set aside at room temperature 2-3 hours. Drain and rinse the
beans.
Quick Soak: In a stockpot, bring 10 cups water to a boil. Add 1
pound dried beans and return to a boil; let boil 2-3 minutes. Cover and
set aside at room temperature 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans.
Gas-Free Soak: In a stockpot, place 1 pound of beans in 10 or
more cups of boiling water; boil for 2-3 minutes, cover and set aside
overnight. The next day approximately 75 to 90 percent of the indigestible
sugars will have dissolved into the soaking water. Drain, and then rinse
the beans thoroughly before cooking them.
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Bean Math |
One 15-ounce can of beans = one and one-half cups cooked beans,
drained.
One pound dry beans = six cups cooked beans, drained.
One pound dry beans = two cups dry beans.
One cup dry beans = three cups cooked beans, drained.
|
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- Return the soaked, rinsed beans to the stockpot. Cover the beans
with 3 times their volume of water. Add herbs or spices (not salt), as
desired.
- Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered,
stirring occasionally, until tender (the time will depend on the type
of bean, but start checking after 45-60 minutes). Boiling beans will
break the skins and leave you with a mushy meal. Add more water if the
beans are not covered.
- When the beans are tender, drain and use in recipes; or for later
use, immerse them in cold water until cool, then drain well and freeze
in 1- to 2-cup packages. One pound of dried beans will yield about 5
or 6 cups cooked beans.
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Bean
Cooking Times |
Baby Lima Beans 1 Hour |
Blackeyes 3/4 to 1 Hour |
Dark Red Kidneys 1 to 1-1/2 Hours |
Garbanzos 1 to 1-1/2 Hours |
Large Limas 3/4 to 1 Hour |
Light Red Kidneys 1 to 1-1/2 Hours |
Pink Beans 1 to l-1/2 Hours |
Small Whites 1 to 1-1/2 Hours |
|
|
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This is one of the quickest ways to cook beans. After you've soaked 1/2
pound of beans, place them in a 4-quart pressure cooker with 4 cups water.
Cook at 15 pounds pressure following the manufacturer's directions for the
type of legume you are cooking.
Do not add salt or acidic ingredients, like vinegar, tomatoes or
juice, this will slow the cooking process. Instead, add these
ingredients when the beans are just tender.
Cooking times vary with the types of beans used but also may vary with their age.
Beans are done when they can be easily mashed between two
fingers or with a fork. Always test a few beans in case they have not cooked evenly
Soaking, cooking, tips, and times provided by California Dry Bean
Board.
Recipes
Three
Bean Soup
Serves 12
Source: Produce for Better Health
Ingredients
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, cut up, low sodium
3 cup water
1 tsp chili powder
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained
1 can (15 oz) black eyed peas, drained
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained
1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 onion, medium, chopped
1½ tsp garlic, chopped
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp basil, dried
1 cup zucchini or celery, chopped
Combine first 13 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer,
covered for 10 minutes. Stir in vegetables and simmer, covered for 10
minutes more.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 172, Protein 9g, Fat 1g,
Calories From Fat 7%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 31g, Fiber 8g, Sodium
365mg.
Find more in our
recipe database!
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