Tasty Tuesday: Black Beans

Last month when I posted my recipe for my southwest chicken salad, I said I would post about my black beans.  Instead of buying canned black beans, I buy dried black beans in bulk and cook them.  This saves us money and I know that we're just eating black beans, not all the preservatives and sugar and other things they have to put in the canned stuff.  I do miss the convenience of not having to cook them, but the price is what keeps me cooking them every time.  Black beans are the only ones I make because we use them often.  I do not cook any other beans, because I don't use other beans often enough to make it worth it, so if I'm making a recipe that calls for kidney, chickpeas, or other beans, I will buy a can or two of those.  I do sometimes cook up pinto beans to make refried beans, but that's not very often.  Anyway, here's what I do for the beans. 

Put the beans in your crock pot with the water, you don't have to rinse black beans, just red kidney beans.  However, if they look dirty, I would recommend rinsing them, also look through them for rocks.

Add the salt and cook on high for 4 hours.

Look at all that nice bean juice...

Delicious beans!!  Allow to cool

I use quart size zip top bags, and just use the same ones over until they get a hole in them.

I use a food scale, and I measure out 15 ounces of beans and 1 ounce of liquid in to each one.  

It's equivalent to a tiny bit less than two cups of beans and 2 Tablespoons of liquid.  Cans of black beans are typically 16 ounces, so most recipes that call for beans are going to call for a can, I like to have them ready in the right amount. 

I try to get most of the air out before placing them in the freezer.  I usually use a pot (4.5 bags) in about a month, but they will stay good up to six months.   They are quickly defrosted in the microwave, under running water, or in the refrigerator.

Let me know if you make them and what you think!!

Black Beans

 4 1/2 cups dried black beans
13 cups water
1 Tbsp salt (I use kosher)

Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for four hours.  Allow the cooked beans to cool before bagging them in quart size zip top bags at 16 ounces a bag.  The beans can be quickly defrosted in the microwave, under running water, or in the refrigerator.