Preparing black beans takes a long time, but the delicacy it produces is well worth the effort. All you need to cook these delicious beans is a steady dish, boiling water, and of course, some black beans.
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Method 1 of 3: Washing Black Beans
Step 1. Sort the beans
Sort the bag of black beans by removing stones, broken beans and other unwanted foreign material. Generally this won't be difficult or cause much of a problem since most bean bags don't have any stones in them, but it's better to take steps to be safe to be sure.
You can also use canned beans instead of dried beans. If you choose canned beans, all you have to do is rinse the beans through a sieve and then place them in the pot on the stove. Heat to medium or high heat and stir. Canned beans just need to be warmed up, they don't need to be overcooked
Step 2. Soak the dried beans in cold water
Soaked beans become softer as they cook, reducing cooking time while retaining the nutrients inside the beans (and they also reduce the complex sugars on the outside of the beans that trigger gas in the stomach). Pour the dried beans into a large bowl and run the water over them. Make sure that you pour enough water into the bowl so that the seeds are completely submerged. Let the black beans soak for at least four hours.
If you have a lot of free time, soak the beans overnight as this will greatly reduce the cooking time
Step 3. Rinse the beans
After rinsing the soaked beans, put the beans in a large saucepan or Dutch oven for about 4 liters. If you're using a pan, try using a heavy, durable pan.
Method 2 of 3: Cooking Beans
Step 1. Add water to a Dutch pan or oven
You will need to add enough water until there is about 0.4 cm of water above the beans. Turn the stove on to medium-high heat.
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You can also add a tablespoon of seaweed such as kombu to reduce gas production caused by black beans.
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Step 2. Boil black beans
Let it simmer for about two minutes.
Step 3. Lower the heat to low then let the beans boil
The water should boil so slowly that you can't see the movement of the water. You can cover the pot or leave it alone, depending on what dish you want to serve:
- If you want the beans to have a firmer texture, such as for salads or pasta, leave the pan open.
- If you want to use it for soups, casseroles, buritos or other dishes that require a softer nutty texture, cook with a lid, but not too tightly, leaving a little space.
Step 4. Monitor the beans occasionally to see if they are done
After an hour, check the texture of the beans. Depending on the age of the beans, it usually takes one to two hours for them to fully ripen. Remove the nuts then pour into a colander and serve.
Method 3 of 3: Making a Dish with Black Beans
Step 1. Make a delicious veggie burger
While the words 'vegetarian' and 'burger' may seem incompatible, black beans can actually turn into a truly delicious veggie burger.
Step 2. Try recipes from Cuba
Authentic Cuban black bean soup will warm you up on very cold days.
Step 3. Add some black beans to the salsa
Nothing adds delicacy to a regular salsa dish like black beans.
Tips
- After cooking, you can freeze the beans in small packages so they can be thawed for later use when needed.
- Add a pinch of salt or other seasonings to give your beans a flavor boost as an extra dish.
