I’ve been cooking a lot this week and thought I’d share with you guys both how & why I cook my dry beans from scratch every time, and how dinner doesn’t take any longer than opening a can!

Professionally, I’m all over the reasons that we should eat less processed food, cook at home more, increase fiber, and reduce our sodium intake. This probably isn’t news to you 😉 . I keep a supply of cooked beans, stocked, and ready to go at any given time. Here’s the why & how:

Let’s start with the WHY:

1. It’s SO easy, with a little advanced planning. 🙂
2. They’re lower in cost than the canned choices, even the low sodium options!
3. They easily freeze flat, and then are stackable in the freezer – hello!, space saving!

Have I convinced you yet? If not, here are a few nutrition-based reasons that you should consider adding more beans / legumes into your diet.

1. Everyone could use more fiber. Fiber has plenty of health benefits, but a couple of the most important are that it helps to keep you feeling full, and in turn prevents overeating; as well as helping you to reduce the “bad” (LDL) cholesterol that floats in your blood.
2. They’re a good source of plant-based protein!
3. Dry beans are significantly lower in sodium than canned choices – They virtually have none! Which is great for anyone looking to decrease the sodium in their diet, on a restriction, or just looking to lose a little extra bloat.

Here’s the HOW – what you’ve been waiting for, right?

1. Rinse 1 pound of dry beans (your choice!), and be sure that there are no small stones, or foreign objects in the mix. Note: I’ve never had an issue with a 1 pound package from a grocery store, but if you buy in bulk it’s more important to check!
2. Place dry beans in the crockpot (here’s one like mine!) with 6 cups of water. The water should cover the top of the beans. Dont worry about exact amounts because you will pour this off in the end anyway.
3. Cook the beans in the crockpot on high heat for 4 hours. And Voila! You’re done! Well, cooking anyway.
4. Drain the cooked beans, and rinse. You could drain in a collander, or If I’m doing it the lazy way, I rinse them in the crock pot, and then simply drain using the lid tilted away from the edge of the pot.
5. Divide the beans evenly between 3 quart-sized freezer bags, and allow them to cool. (This amounts to slightly more than one 15 oz can, but makes little difference in a recipe – more fiber! Remember?)
6. Place them, laying flat, into the freezer. Once frozen, you can stand upright to take advantage of some space saving!

Cooking / Reheating:

Depending on how you’re using these beans in a recipe or as a topping, I simply pop the needed amount into the microwave for 1-2 minutes until thawed & warmed. I use the microwave method for my Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers) If you’re using this within a recipe (like my Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowls), I add it the same way I would add a can of prepared beans to a recipe. Just note that it may take a little longer for it to cook due to the fact that they started frozen.

If you’re planning ahead, I have occasionally thawed the quart sized bags overnight in the refrigerator and cooked using the beans the next day – which works out great, too!

I keep black beans, navy beans, and chickpeas regularly stocked at my house! Which one will you try first? So, let me know how this works out for you and whether it made your cooking routine any easier! 🙂