Dry beans are a frequent year-round staple lining the shelves of No More Empty Pots' pantry!
Black beans are small, dark, and creamy, making them common in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine. No More Empty Pots also incorporates pink beans, which are medium-sized with a smooth texture and mildly sweet flavor, and garbanzo beans (chickpeas), known for their round shape and nutty taste, in their Community Harvest and Micro Market programs.
Dry beans are incredibly versatile, providing nutrition to any meal you come up with! Today, we're diving into two different cooking methods for black beans.
Preparing Black Beans on Stovetop (Overnight Soak)
- Place beans in a pot, cover with 2 inches of water, add 2 tbsp salt per pound. Soak for 4-12 hours (or overnight).
- After soaking, drain and rinse the beans.
- Place beans in a pot, cover with 2 inches of water or broth.
- Optional – add salt, onion, garlic, bay leaves, oil, cumin, citrus zest, red pepper flakes, lime juice, etc.
- Cover pot, heat on low for 45-60 minutes. Stir occasionally and don’t let it boil.
- Mash beans against the pot’s side to test if tender.
Preparing Black Beans with Instant Pot
- Put 8 cups of water in the pot.
- Rinse black beans with colander with water.
- Place inside instant pot.
- Lock the lid in place. Put it into ceiling mode.
- Set to "pressure cook" and "high pressure".
- Wait for it to pressurize, then cook for 30 minutes.
- Step away from the instant pot and start the venting process.
- Open the pot away from your face.
- Scoop the beans out with a strainer to remove them from the water inside the pot.
- Optional – add salt, onion, garlic, bay leaves, oil, cumin, citrus zest, red pepper flakes, lime juice, etc.
- Remember, the beans will triple in size once they're cooked!
Recipe and Video Source: Nebraska Department of Education
