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Freezing Pre-Soaked Beans

© Pier Jones

or, Cutting Cooking Time for Vegetarian Meals

This may seem a bit off-topic at first glance, however, I want to share with you something that has saved me a ton of time in the kitchen. Whether you are a strict Vegetarian, enjoy an occasional Vegetarian meal, or just like Vegetarian side-dishes with your meats, this will come in handy.

If you've ever cooked, or even read, vegetarian recipes, you know that there is much use of grains and dried beans. If you haven't used your pressure cooker for both these, you are spending way too much time in the kitchen! There are lots of times that I would like to make a grain and/or bean dish, but don't have time to cook everything from scratch, even using the pressure cooker. Par-cooking (or pre-soaking) your beans and having them in the freezer, makes whipping up those side-dishes and salads a snap.

In trying to determine how to package your pre-soaked beans, remember that dried beans double in volume after soaking. One cup of dried beans will usually yield about 2 to 2 ½ C cooked beans. I package mine according to the amounts called for in my favorite recipes. They keep nicely in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Speedy Pre-Soak

2 C dried beans (any variety)

6 C water

Wash and pick through the beans. Place beans and water in a large pan, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 or 3 minutes, stir, remove from heat, cover and let set for 1 hour. Drain, rinse, package, label and freeze.

Speed-ier Pressure Pre-Soak

2 C dried beans (any variety)

6 C water

Wash and pick through the beans. Place water and beans in at least an 8 quart pressure cooker. Seal cooker and bring to full pressure over medium-high heat. Lower heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and run cold water over the cooker to reduce pressure. Drain, rinse, package, label, and freeze.

Overnight Pre-Soak

2 C dried beans (any variety)

6 C water

Wash and pick through the beans. Place beans and water in a bowl, cover and let set over night. Drain, rinse, package, label and freeze.

It's that simple!! Now, back to the garden, so we can talk serious canning in the weeks to come.....

If you have questions, please post to the discussion area, or join our Preservers egroup at http://members.aol.com/preservers/group.... , where you will meet a lot of very helpful canners.....both experienced and not-so-experienced. And look for tasty recipes in which to use your garden produce in the other topic areas at www.suite101.com .