SpokEasy

Some dried legumes, such as lentils, cook fairly quickly; say, in about 45 minutes. They don’t need pre-soaking.

Larger, harder legumes, such as pinto beans, would ordinarily need to be cooked on the stove for several hours; or else overnight in a slow-cooker.

But both a stove and a slow-cooker can generate a lot of heat; and that’s not so desirable in hot weather. When there’s so much else to be done, who wants to have to keep an eye on a pot of beans that will be on the stove for two or three hours, anyway?

Here’s a solution: “Soft -Serve Ice Beans”, from page 626 of The Complete Tightwad Gazette. This nifty idea was sent in by a subscriber to the newsletter. When I first tried this, I was delighted to learn that it really works.

It’s easy. Sort the dried beans. Rinse well. Put in container with water to cover, plus an inch. Let sit overnight.

The next morning, drain the beans; put them in container(s) in the desired amount; and freeze them for several hours. They’ll cook soft much faster than if they’d been started from dry.

In general, dried legumes double in bulk with cooking, so be sure to use a big-enough cooking vessel. Dried legumes also tend to foam during cooking, so keep an eye on them. If you want to use canned beans instead of dried beans, two 150-oz cans equals 1-1/2 cups of dried beans (3 cups cooked).