Found out dried beans are way cheaper than canned if you do a big batch on Sunday

I was spending like $2.50 a can on black beans at the store near my place in Austin and it was killing my grocery budget. Last month I bought a 2 pound bag of dried black beans for $3.50 and cooked them all at once in my slow cooker. After soaking overnight and cooking for 6 hours, I got about 6 cans worth of beans and froze them in portions. They taste way better too, no extra salt or preservatives. Has anyone else tried converting to dried beans and found a good trick for getting them tender without a ton of babysitting?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby_cooper3d ago

Oh man, welcome to the club! I did the exact same switch last year and never looked back. Honestly, the flavor difference is night and day. For getting them tender without babysitting, I just toss a strip of kombu seaweed in the pot while they cook. It sounds weird but it makes the beans super soft and helps with the digestive side effects too if you know what I mean. I also add a bay leaf and some garlic powder at the start because it bumps up the taste without any extra work. Freezing them in mason jars is a game changer too since you can just pull one out for a quick taco night or soup.

aaron8803d ago

Kombu's good but make sure to rinse it first or it's way too salty.

betty_perry243d ago

The kombu trick really is a lifesaver for bean texture. Aaron880 knows what's up with the rinsing tip too, I've definitely made that mistake before. It's nice when a simple change like that makes such a big difference in the final dish.