Author: Sitkastan
Date: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Food

How do you Cook Legumes?

By: Sitkastan

I have always wondered about cooking legume. After all, I have many hundreds of pounds stored away and yet I have no clear idea how to cook many of these legumes. Yes I have all kinds of cook books and storage program material but most of these make the presumption that I have always known how to cook legumes. So I decided to do some research and put together a handy little table showing cooking amounts, time etc.

I hope the table is as helpful for your storage program as it was for mine.

Traditional Soak

Traditional Soak

Legume

Method

Legume

Method

Cooking time

Cooking time

Adzuki Beans

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Kidney Beans

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Anasazi Beans

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Lentils

1 hour

Appaloosa Beans

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Lima Beans, Baby

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Black Turtle Beans

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Lima Beans, Large

1 hour

Black-eyed Peas

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Navy Beans

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Cannellini Beans

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Peas

1- 1 1/2 hours

Cow Peas

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Split Peas

45 min - 1 hour

Cranberry Beans

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Pink Flamingo Beans 1 1/2 - 2 hours Fava Beans

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Pinto Beans

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Flageolet Beans

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Small Red Beans

1 1/2 - 2 hours

Garbanzo Beans

3 -4 hours

Soy Beans

2 - 3 hours****

Great Northern Beans 1 1/2 - 2 hours Swedish Brown Beans 1 1/2 - 2 hours

**** Soybeans tend to foam up and overflow pot. Do not cover soybeans tightly and add 1-2 T
vinegar or oil to water when cooking them.

First of all, you should always rinse legumes in cold water and drain.

Traditionally, legumes are soaked overnight and then cooked.

However, you can bring the water to a boil, drop legumes into pot slowly so boiling does not stop. When legumes are in pot, lower heat, cover and simmer til they are soft. This method usually saves 1/2 to 1 hour cooking time. Legumes in an unsealed pot need to be stirred occasionally and more water may need to be added to the pot part way through the cooking.

Do not add salt until nearly done, as it may retard softening process. Cooking times are approximate, some people like their cooked beans a little more firmer than others. Liquid may be water, but if you use meat or vegetable stock; you will improve the flavor tremendously. The more flavorful the liquid, the more flavorful the beans. The more flavorful the beans the more likely that your children and elderly will find it tasty and filling. Remember that storage food does not have to be a dull experience. You may even find that it becomes a popular item at your dinner table. For information on cooking lgrains check out my article on How to cook grains.