April 13th, 2020

Beans from Scratch

Michelle isn't serving up samples right now, so she's serving up kitchen tips instead! Here's her tried and true approach to cooking dry beans, plus some extra tips for upping your flavor, saving time, and cook other legumes. (Ingredients and modifications are below the video.)

Ingredients

  • Beans
  • Water
  • Salt

ONE cup of dried beans will yield THREE cups of cooked beans.

1. Pour beans onto clean cloth, plate or sheet pan and inspect for rocks or beans that are funky looking. Rinse beans. 

2. Soak, soak, soak. Put the beans in a large bowl or pot, add cold water (at least 3 inches of water above the beans) and let soak overnight. Let them soak in lots of water, as it will ensure each bean has lots of water absorption. Massage the beans, rinse and refill water several times during the soak period. 

3. After soaking the beans, drain and rinse and put in a large pot. Add fresh water to cover the beans 2-3 inches. The cooking vessel size is important. Bigger is better as the cooking will be more even if each bean has room to cook. Bring to boil for a few minutes. Scrape any foam off the top, as needed. 

4. Cover beans, lower heat and let simmer on a gentle boil until the beans are done to the point you wish. If your pot is not deep enough, leave the lid ajar so the beans don’t get foamy and boil over. 

5. At this point you can add a 3-4 inch piece of Kombu seaweed if you wish. Lift out the Kombu if it starts to break apart. Give the Kombu a taste, as you may enjoy the delicious snack that it is. 

6. Stir the beans occasionally. The beans should take about 1-2 hours to be cooked through.  

7. Salt the cooked beans to taste. One cup of (dried) beans to one teaspoon of salt is a good ratio.  

8. If you have a lot of the cooking liquid, you can drain it from the beans and bring the liquid back to heat to reduce to a creamy consistency. You can enjoy the juice with the beans or you can use the bean cream to flavor just about any soup, braise or even pasta sauces. 

Note:

  • Cooking garbanzos (chickpeas) may take double the time to cook. 
  • Kidney beans need extra soak time, lots of rinses and longer cook times. Canned kidney beans are a good alternative. 
  • Lentils and split peas do not need any soak time, just a good rinse. 
  • If you have an Instapot, crockpot or pressure cooker, cooking beans is even easier. Follow the instructions with your appliance. 
  • Remember to check out the Ashland Food Co-op website for lots of fabulous tried-and-true bean recipes.
  • You can add flavor components and aromatics toward the end of cooking. Beans really are better day 2 and day 3, so make plenty. Beans will keep well for about 5 days in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer. 

Here are flavor profile ideas for different bean types and can be enjoyed as a cold salad, soup, stew, chili, cassoulet, entree, burger, fritter, or a creamy hummus-like dip:

Pinto: Just salt! 

Black bean: Thyme, cumin seed, paprika, bay leaf, onion, garlic, bell pepper. 

Black eyed peas: Thyme, black pepper, chili flakes, onion, garlic, olive oil. 

White beans of all sorts: Rosemary, thyme, sage, bay leaf, parsley, celery, carrots, onion, garlic. 

Garbanzo: Leave plain to make hummus or make chickpea marsala with mustard seed, cumin seed, turmeric powder, coriander, fresh ginger, cilantro, onion and garlic. 

More Co-op News

January 7th, 2019

What to do with all this citrus?!

So you grabbed a few too many extra oranges and grapefruits and lemons (and some finger limes, and some satsumas…), and rather than watch them go bad, we want to provide you with some ideas on how to reduce waste. You’ll also get to enjoy citrus in a lot of new ways!

There are many guides and recipes across the internet (like this one by our friends at Grow Forage Cook Ferment), so here are a few ideas to get your creative and citrus juices flowing.

December 31st, 2018

Update from the General Manager: "Food for Paradise" campaign

Ashland Food Co-op's General Manager, Emile Amarotico, ends 2018 on a very uplifting note with a report back on the "Food for Paradise" donation campaign. Watch the video below, or read on for an extended written update.

Hello, this is Emile Amarotico, the general manager of Ashland Food Co-op with an update on the Co-op’s Food for Paradise initiative.

December 27th, 2018

5 Fresh Ways to Save at the Co-op

We’ve all been there: your bank account is looking thin after a month of celebrations, but you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to save up for a big purchase later in the year

Now’s the time to make some changes to your spending - but that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on quality goods at the Ashland Food Co-op.

These are some lesser known ways to save at the Co-op. Think of them like ordering off the secret menu. 

Savings Level: $

December 21st, 2018

4 Ways to Reduce Your Food Waste

It’s the New Year, our favorite time for goal-setting, making positive resolutions, and shifting our impact. One of the Co-op’s goals is to become a Zero Waste facility. Our staff works to divert as much food waste as we can - and we hope our member-owners will join us in this goal too.

December 21st, 2018

Meet Cooking Class Instructor Charlie Douglass

Many talented local chefs share their expertise in the Co-op Kitchen. Charlie Douglass is no exception. As the former Master Chocolatier at Harry and David, Charlie knows a thing or two about chocolate and candy making. 

Tell us how your love of cooking and food began.

October 11th, 2018

Meet Cooking Class Instructor Tiazza Rose

From bread baking to Moroccan cooking, many talented local chefs share their expertise in the Co-op Kitchen. We'd like you to meet a few of them. Tiazza Rose has been teaching the Ashland community the art of Moroccan cooking for years. If you haven't taken a class from Tiazza yet, you should. Here's why.

 

Tell us how your love of cooking and food began.

October 10th, 2018

Give the Gift of Wellness

 

Finding the perfect gift for a friend or loved one is an art. This winter, we carefully selected these assortments for those who love some good self-care, are working in partnership with their gut health, or for those making efforts to reduce their pain. Each of these gift ideas will help you make your loved ones feel extra special and extra healthful.

 

October 10th, 2018

Give the Gift of Good Food

During the month of November, Co-op shoppers can nourish their own families and help fight hunger in the Rogue Valley. We’ve teamed up once again with Smart Chicken® for the Smart Giving Holiday Challenge.

Here’s how it works.

  • For every 10 pounds of Smart Chicken® you purchase from the Meat Department or the Deli, Smart Chicken® will donate one pound of chicken to a local non profit

October 9th, 2018

We're All Turtles

By Dean Williamson, Board of Director

My grandmother loved to talk. Oh, could she talk! And she had one expression that I’ve always really liked. “If you come across a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be pretty sure it didn’t get there by itself.”

October 2nd, 2018

The Power of Principle Seven

By Emile Amarotico, General Manager

As we approach the holidays, I’d like to invoke the spirit of the Seventh Cooperative Principle: Concern for Community. The International Cooperative Alliance defines Principle Seven as when “cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.”

So how does that work? How does Ashland Food Co-op demonstrate concern for community?

August 8th, 2018

Love Local with the Local Guy

Throughout September, we will be celebrating all things local. And no one loves local or is more local than our Temporary Demo Coordinator, Brighton Litjens. He was basically raised at the Co-op, has a strong passion for local farmers and producers and loves delighting shoppers with delicious samples and great deals. Who better to tell us about loving local than the "Local Guy" himself?

Tell us a bit about yourself.