Beans are a great, versatile kitchen staple! These legumes are an excellent plant-based source of protein and are highly nutritious for all diets. Further, beans have a long shelf-life as, for example, unopened, dried or canned beans can be stored in the cupboard for a long time. 

Cleaning and prepping your beans

The way you clean and prep your beans depends on whether you're using dry beans (i.e., beans that have been dry packaged in sealed bags or sacks) or canned beans (i.e., beans that have been pre-cooked and stored in water within a can). 

Dry beans -

Preparing dry beans:

1. Rinse dry beans before soaking or cooking. 
2. Soak beans in fresh tap water overnight to reduce the cooking time and enhance the flavour by starting the germination process (this is when water dissolves or cracks open the hard casing of the bean!)
3. After soaking, discard any beans that float on the surface, drain and rinse again. 
4. Put the drained and rinsed beans in saucepan and cover with water. 
5. Boil rapidly for 10-15 minutes, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until your beans are tender!

Cooking dry beans:

Dry pulses need to be cooked to mainly make it easier for digestion. Cooking times can vary on the age of the pulses, so use this as a general guide -

·       Adzuki beans: 30-45 minutes

·       Black beans: 1 hour

·       Black eyed beans: 1 hour

·       Borlotti beans: 1-1.5 hours

·       Butter/lima beans: 1 hour

·       Cannellini beans: 1 hour

·       Chickpeas: 1.5-2.5 hours

·       Kidney beans: 1-1.5 hours

·       Mung beans: 25-40 minutes

·       Pinto beans: 1 hour

·       Soybeans: 2 hours

Canned beans -

Canned beans are convenient, cupboard staples as they require no lengthy soaking or cooking time.

Just need to drain the water from the can and rinse the beans, and then they're ready to be added to your meal!

Storing your beans

• Once beans have been cooked or a can of beans have been opened and prepped, beans can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days.