How do I make black beans

Let’s start something new here on Savor Simple. Welcome to the “How do I make?” series. As much as I love full blown dinners, delicious baked goods, and well seasoned veggies, what I actually make every day is well, pretty simple. And, I’d like to share those simple, kitchen basics with you! When I moved to Nicaragua, I was shocked that things like premade chicken broth didn’t exist in most grocery stores. The salad dressing aisle was more like a foot wide section of a shelf. Premade whipped cream? Forget it. Even things like canned beans were hard to find. Not to mention, very pricey. Now, years later, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks for what to do you can’t find what you want ready-made. Extra perks are that diy versions of kitchen basics help save $$$ money, are often much better quality, and are low waste. Let’s start off “how do I make?” with my number one kitchen staple- beans. I make beans on a weekly basis because I love them and because I live in a half-Latino household in Costa Rica. There is never a time we don’t have beans in our house, since they are a common food for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. If you want to know my favorite method, tips and tricks, keep reading to find out “how do I make black beans?”

The ingredients

This is a dried black beans recipe. Yep. We are starting with a bag of dried black beans. Although, helpful hint, just follow this same method for any kind of beans and they will be delicious. The only thing that may vary is your cooking time. To make these black beans, you will need a slow cooker, 1 pound of dried black beans, 1 small onion, a few cloves of garlic, some salt and water. I suggest pouring your black beans in a bowl and slowly adding them to the slow cooker, checking for rocks or beans that look like rocks. No one wants to chip a tooth. Quarter your onion, removing the outer layer of skin and any onion paper and add to the slow cooker along with the black beans. Peel your garlic cloves and cut off the woody end. Please, use actual garlic cloves, not the pre-minced garlic in a jar. Add the whole garlic cloves to the slow cooker. Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and top the whole thing with 10 cups of water. Set your slow cooker to low and cover. Here is your friendly reminder to be sure it is also plugged in. Let them cook for 6-7 hours on low, until soft, but not falling apart. Once your beans have finished cooking, add the remaining 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and let sit 10 minutes. Please note that if you use something other than kosher salt, you may need more or less. Start with less and taste.

The method

I’m a simple gal and most of the time, I go for the simplest method. For me that is using a crock pot/slow cooker for anything that cooks for a long time. Why? I don’t want to heat my kitchen for that long. I also don’t want to be tied down to my house for 4-6 hours while something simmers on my cooktop. This method doesn’t require any presoaking or extra steps. But, if you do need your beans to be done cooking in less time, scroll to the bottom of the post for a few tips and tricks.

Making black beans in a crock pot

I love my slow cooker/crock pot and it gets quite a bit of use in my house. The thing I use it for the most? Making beans. Our weekly routine is on Sunday nights, right before I go to bed, I turn on a pot of beans in the slow cooker. The first time I did this I woke up in a panic from the delicious smell, thinking I was burning my house down. I set it on low and when the boys get up for school in the morning, beans are ready to go. Some weeks I do black beans, some weeks red, or sometimes garbanzos or white beans. But, it is always the same routine. Onions, garlic, salt. The onions and garlic give a subtle flavor to the beans that is perfect with almost all flavors and recipes. I say “almost all recipes” because I would caution against making any black bean brownies with these black beans. That is the voice of experience speaking. While you can definitely make beans in a pot on the stove or in a pressure cooker, this particular method infuses lots of flavor, but doesn’t tie you down for half a day.

What to do with leftover black beans

So you made your pot of beans and now you are thinking, what in the world am I going to do with all these beans? I’ve got some solutions.

Storing leftover beans

My favorite method for bean storage is storing the equivalent of 1 can of beans in quart-size zip-top bags. A can of beans holds approximately 1.5 cups of beans and about .5 cups of liquid, so measure that amount and place into one of your bags, press out the air, seal and place flat in your freezer. I layer several bags on top of one another, allowing them to freeze fully. Freezing flat both helps with storage and, helps the beans to defrost quickly. Then, next time you have a recipe that calls for a can of beans, just grab a bag out of the freezer. To defrost quickly, you can place the closed bag in warm water for about 20 minutes. If you are wanting to eat or use your beans within 4 days, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container. Around the 5 day mark, your beans can start smelling a little funky and go bad. I usually keep a small amount in my fridge and freeze the rest. Be sure to label your beans with the date and the amount in your bag. 1 pound of dried beans yields about 6-7 cups of cooked beans, drained and rinsed. So, for the cost of 1 can of name brand beans, you can make the equivalent of 4-5 cans of beans!

Recipe for refried beans

In addition to freezing whole beans, I also love to make refried beans with either black or red beans. Ever go to a mexican restaurant and wonder how their beans are so good? Well, this is how. While your beans are still warm, place 2 cups of beans and 1/2 cup of liquid in a blender. Pulse to get things going, then blend until smooth. At this point, you can either pour your frijoles molidos (ground beans) into a freezer bag and store until ready to make refried beans or, move on to the next step. In a large non-stick skillet, at 1 tablespoon of oil or lard over medium high heat. Once your skillet is hot, add the bean puree. Stir constantly, allowing the beans to bubble for about a minute. Turn off the heat. Top with shredded jack cheese, serve with tortilla chips, or spread them on these Portabello Tacos. I’d love to know, what is your favorite thing to do with black beans?

Tips and tricks

Don’t have a slow cooker? No problem. Follow the same recipe for a cook top. Bring your beans to a boil, then drop it down to low for 4-6 hours. They will likely cook more quickly than in the slow cooker. Need your beans to cook more quickly? Set your slow cooker to high and add 1/4 tsp baking soda. This will help soften them up and they will be ready in half the time. You can also try the baking soda trick if you are making your beans on the stove top. Add the beans, garlic, onion, salt, water and baking soda. Bring to a boil and drop to a simmer for 1.5-2 hours. Add the remaining salt once your beans are soft and let sit for 10 minutes. Of cooking on the stove top, monitor the amount of water in your pot, adding extra as needed. There should always be about 2 inches of liquid above the beans.