Got Beans? I need some good dry pinto bean recipes/ using emergency food supply- I need practice!! :

Hi all, I just finished purchasing all of my emergency food supplies, but I am not a fantastic cook!

Any EASY and tasty recipes you might have for dry pinto beans, wheat, and rice would be greatly appreciated!

I need to practice before any SHTF scenarios happen, or I am afraid my family might starve, not from lack of food, but an abundance of inedible, untried bean concoctions

reply to post by desertdweller1


Just boil beans until tender. Add spices you like when they first start to soften.

You can add the rice to the beans or serve it on the side.

reply to post by TXTriker


Thanks Any particular spices? I wasn't kidding when I said I am not a great cook!

Salt,pepper,comino,garlic powder,onion powder...if you cook pork-based meat,save the water or fat and use that in the water with your beans when you first boil them.

Cook your pintos until just soft,then drain amd cool...mash them up and add some of your wheat for texture or even a bit of leftover cooked rice or any sort of crumbs,leftover veggies like green peppers or corn or onions chopped in even a small amount adds flavor! If you have a raw egg,add that to the mix as well,will give moisture and hold everything together but it's not necessary...

Shape into patties and grill,they usually taste great IF you season them I don't eat red meat and have served "bean burgers" to rave reviews at cookouts,black beans are also really good used this way!

Beans are a great staple and you don't need any spices. Cook and eat with a little salt. Yumm. You can add chili powder, or cumin or garlic, diced onion. Any favorite flavors. Beans are very versitile. You need to look on the web for the recipes as there are thousands out there. You can use the beans to make bean flour and thus make bread or a facsimilie of it. Never cook your beans with your rice. Try to keep your "cooked" beans seperate and add what you want to eat for that meal. Keep yor base pure and unadulterated. I hope you stocked up on rice and pumkin or some kind of winter squash and/or corn as well. Tha is a complete package.

Nice post!

You can try garlic friend!
When serving fresh tomato and onion sliced and coriander.

Frami

reply to post by desertdweller1


Salt, Pepper, Tony Chachere's (sp?) (spicy), garlic, onion. I also add a can of Rotel tomatoes to a normal size (3 qt saucepan). I also use a Pinto Bean Seasoning that is pre-mixed. I've never seen it anywhere except one local grocery chain here in Texas. It has no brand name on it but if any of your groceries have a Pinto Bean seasoning in the spice aisle you might give it a try.

I can't really tell you how much spice to use. My mom taught me to cook without measuring much. I just add some and then taste it. If I think it needs more I add it. Just keep in mind that the spices will increase in taste as they cook in to beans.

A lot of people soak the beans in cold water over night before cooking but I don't mess with it. Everyone loves my beans and I can have them ready in about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

If you add the seasonings just as the beans start to soften they will absorb them in the remaining cooking time. Just be sure to keep the water level up until the beans are done. They use up the water pretty quickly and will burn/stick to the pan. If they do, just pour everything into another pan WITHOUT STIRRING and finish cooking them. You shouldn't have any burned or scorched taste as long as you don't stir the ones that are stuck to the bottom. (From the voice of experience. Changing from cooking with gas to all electric is still giving me some issues after 9 years)

personally stockpiling stuff incase is no use if you cant eat/trade/use the stuff so i'd get working with the family to find out what they do like as 50lb of something is no use if noone wants to eat it or even worse is allergic to it

Beans contain enzymes that block nutrients.

If you want to get the nutrients and wonderful protein out of your pinto beans you need to soak and rinse them.

I have been cooking for many, many years. Recently I started doing the same thing as you, which is learning to cook meals from emergency supply food. I have SOOOOO MANY BEANS!

Anyway, you need to soak your pinto beans for at least 12 hours. After that you should rinse, heavy boil with soda for 10 minutes or so, then rinse and add to your dish. Even at this point the beans are going to need another few hours (like all day) cooking before they'll be ready to eat.

So to summarize:

Soak beans overnight (12-24 hours)

Rinse thoroughly

Boil heavily for 10-20 minutes. Add soda 1/2 way through the boil. The boil and the soda will help break down complex sugars into more easily digested sugars. (This will not only make them easier and better for your body but you'll fart less too!)

At this point prepare your meal. If you're making baked beans, for example, add your ingredients (onions, brown sugar, molasses, tomato sauce/paste, water, other veggies, salt, pepper, etc) and let em cook for a good 5-6 hours.

I have had lots of adventures with beans recently. I don't really like sweet baked beans so I formulated a recipe for a spicier version. If you want it PM me.

ETA: You can reduce your cook time with a pressure cooker, for obvious reasons. Beans are slow to absorb liquids without pressure so they take a lot of cook time. It's VERY important to soak, boil and rinse your beans before eating them to get the full nutritional benefit.

Cumin, red pepper, chili powder, cilantro, savory, oregano, parsely...just to name a few. Remember that if you use fresh you need to use more than you would should you use dry spices/herbs.

If you decide to make chili and want to add tomato, don't add the tomato till the beans are tender. There's a reaction between the beans and the acid in the tomato (i think that's what it is) that will cause the beans to not soften. Also- don't salt till they're tender either as that will also retard the softening process.

Beans
Salt pork (or bacon)
Cumin
Red pepper (i use hot; you may prefer sweet)
Chili powder
Oregano
Onion (I use hot)
Small amount of Tomato paste (to taste, really)
Savory
Garlic
Any meat you may want to add. I like to use pork shoulder rib pieces cut into manageable pieces. Any meat will work really.

Soak beans overnight or for at least several hours. Cook these separately (bring to a boil then reduce to medium and let simmer for a couple/few hours) until tender with the spices (make sure there is no salt in your spices! Don't use "mix" spices as they're all salt!) I cook them in broth of some sort, if i have it, or just water works too. As the beans cook, you may need to re-season, so taste them once in a whle when they're tenderish to the tooth.

Heat up a heavy pan to a medium temperature ( i use my dutch oven)
Add cubed salt pork or bacon and let the fat render a bit
Add onion and sweat them a little with the peppers
Add whatever meat you may be adding to brown it a little if you want
Add spices (but not herbs)

If your beans are tender (takes a couple hours sometimes) you can now add them to your spicy meat mixture and let it all simmer till the meat becomes tender. You can add new broth or use the liquor from the beans. Toward the end, add the herbs and garlic so as to not over cook them and ruin their flavour (make sure you cut the calloused ends off the garlic to avoid bitterness).

I serve this with jasmine rice. You can add some cheese, whatever you want to it that you think might taste good. Sour cream is good with it, hot sauce too. Some crusty bread for dipping is divine! Use real butter on it

This is just a pretty plain bean dish really but it's very yummy and kind of comfort-foody.

I always add a hunk about 3 inch cube of salt pork, about half a teaspoon of pepper, half a teaspoon of powdered garlic, and half of a chopped up vidalia onion. Good stuff!

reply to post by TinkerHaus


Regular baking soda? Never heard of this method, but I will definitely try it!

I want to practice with what I have and find recipes that my family really enjoys so all of the $$$$ spent on emergency supplies will not go to waste

Thanks!!

It sounds daunting but after your initial soak it's just a matter of adding ingredients and letting em cook for awhile. Really low maintenance cooking.

I suggest using recipes as a guideline. I rarely measure anything when cooking, but rather cook to taste. The first few times you try cooking beans, regardless of what you're making, taste often and add what you think it needs.

When I'm looking for cooking ideas I will read multiple recipes for a day then I'll head to the kitchen with these fresh ideas in my mind and just kind of wing it. Often times it turns out wonderful, sometimes I fail miserable. It's a learning experience and aside from a few fundamentals there is no wrong answer.

Happy eating!

Originally posted by desertdweller1
reply to post by TinkerHaus

 

Regular baking soda? Never heard of this method, but I will definitely try it!

I want to practice with what I have and find recipes that my family really enjoys so all of the $$$$ spent on emergency supplies will not go to waste

Thanks!!

Yup, regular old baking soda. It helps break down complex sugars. You can add to your overnight soak or your boil, I always add to a boil. You're looking to use approximately 1tsp / cup of beans. (this is your presoak measurement, beans are gonna have more volume after the soak.)

Just make sure you're adding it during the prep stages and not putting baking soda in some chili or something.

reply to post by desertdweller1


Cooking Dried Beans.
To prepare dried beans (1 pound of dried beans = about 2 cups raw or 5 to 6 cups cooked), place
washed beans in a pot with 2 to 3 times their volume of water (1 pound of beans needs 4 to 6
cups). Let stand 8 to 12 hours. To quick soak, bring water and beans to a boil and allow to boil 2
minutes. Cover pot and let stand 1 hour. The time required for cooking beans is generally 1-1/2
to 2 hours, but this depends upon the variety of bean and the length of time they have been stored.
Check beans often as they begin to get tender so they don't get mushy. Cook at a gentle simmer
with the lid tilted to retain shape. If beans foam up during cooking, add a tablespoon of oil or fat
to the water or cook with a small amount of fat pork or bacon. If a recipe calls for tomatoes,
lemon juice or vinegar, add when beans are almost tender or acid will slow the softening process.
Beans can also be prepared for quick-cooking in camp like minute rice. Cook them normally until
tender, drain and dry them in a food dryer or spread them on a flat pan and dry in a warm oven or
in the sun. Store in airtight canisters. They can then be reconstituted in water by boiling about 20
minutes.
I have several stored away in my puter... let me copy paste a few

Trench Beans
1 lb. dry pinto beans, cooked
1 tbsp. seasoned salt
1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. A-1 Steak Sauce
1/8 tsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
Soak and cook beans. When tender, add seasonings and simmer an additional 30 minutes.

Battalion Baked Beans
1 large can pork and beans
1/2 cup tomato catsup
6 small onions (or 1 jar small onions)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. molasses
1 tsp. dry prepared mustard
bacon strips
Combine all ingredients except bacon and spoon into a casserole dish. Cover with strips of bacon.
Bake at 300 degrees to 350 degrees for 1 hour or until the bacon is done and the beans are bubbly.

Baked Beans
6 cups cooked dry beans (2 cups raw)
1 small chopped onion
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. molasses
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry prepared mustard
2 slices fat pork or bacon
Place half the cooked beans in a bean pot place chopped onion on top. Add remaining beans. Mix
brown sugar, molasses, salt and mustard and pour on top of beans. Lay fat pork or bacon on top
and cover beans with hot water. Cover bean pot and bake in a slow oven (250 degrees) for 6
hours. Uncover last hour to brown.

Burritos de Frijol (Pinto-bean-filled Tortillas)
Yield: 6 burritos Heating Time: Approximately
Temperature: Medium, 350°F Freezes Well

1 teaspoon shortening 2 cups grated sharp cheddar
2 cups cooked, mashed, pinto cheese
beans* 2-4 cups Red or Green Chile
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Sauce**
6 Flour Tortillas** Shredded lettuce (optional)
2 green onions, finely chopped

1. Place shortening in a medium-sized skillet. Add beans and
seasonings and heat at medium heat.
2. Place 1/3 cup of bean mixture on bottom third of each tortilla.
Top with onions and 1/4 cup cheese and fold tortilla into thirds.
Place burritos in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
3. Pour red or green chile sauce over burritos and garnish with
remaining cheese.
4. Place in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese
melts. Garnish with lettuce.

Frijoles Pintos (Pinto Beans)
Yield: Approximately 4 cups Cooking Time: 4-6 hours*
Temperature: High, Medium, Freezes Well
Low

2 cups dried pinto beans 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
9 cups water 2 tablespoons lard or
1 teaspoon salt shortening

1. Sort pinto beans and rinse in cold water.
2. Place beans and water in a large stewing pot. Bring mixture to a
boil over high heat.
3. Reduce heat to medium and cook until beans are tender.
4. Add seasonings and shortening to beans and simmer at low heat for
an additional 30 minutes.

Variations: Salt pork, tomatoes, tomato sauce, catsup, or onions may be added for additional flavor. * Frijoles Pintos may be cooked in a pressure cooker for 45 minutes at 15 pounds pressure, seasoned, and simmered at low heat for an additional 30 minutes.

too bad I ran out of room before I could share with you how to make Frijoles Refritos (Refried Pinto Beans)

EDIT TO AD: in a pinch white ash from burned hardwood can be substituted for baking soda

put 1 cup dry beans in a tall cook pot with lid.
Fill pot with cold water to cover beans plus 1 inch over.
Let sit over night to soak with lid off.
In morning rinse beans and pour off the soaking water.
Put in fresh water to cover beans by 1 inch.

Lid on, cook in oven (350 degrees) for 3 hours.
Check at end of 3 hours, stir and taste beans. If the beans seem dry add a cup of boiling water to pot.
Check every hour until beans are soft and water is a bit cloudy.

Then add spices, salsa, salt, whatever.

SALT toughens beans, as does soft water. Add boullion, bacon, ham, etc after the beans are soft.

reply to post by desertdweller1


if the SHTF you need not worry about being a good cook... Caz if you are hungry them beans will taste good no matter what you do to them.....

I have cooked beans with baking soda as I heard a myth relating to reducing the gasssss effect. I don't like it at all. It adds a funky flavor to the beans and changes their color, especially after a day or two in the fridge. In a SHTF scenario, you might not be able to cook every day. If I were you, try the baking soda method on a small amount of beans and see how you like it. And, it is definitely better if you can soak your beans over night before cooking.

WIC is a good place for recipes for basic staples.but my favorite is 1 lb great northern beans 1lb ground beef about 1 tbsp prepared mustard(this also helps with gas,something in mustard counteracts it) salt,pepper,lowrys seasoned salt,lowrys garlic salt to taste i dont soak my beans i put them in a large stock pot with water and boil.keep adding water until beans tender.this will take 3-4 hours,and you will be adding water once or twice an hour. brown ground beef with seasonings,wait until beans are almost done. when beans are tender boil down to constincency of a thicker soup or light gravy.add beef grease and all,all kinds of flavor there. make a pot of rice(one cup of dried rice per two cups water)i usually do 3 cups rice 5 1/2 cups water couple dashes salt and couple spoonfulls margerine( and i use jasmine rice good flavor and comes in 16-20 lb bags usually 15-20$$ lasts 3 of us about a year and we use alot of rice) serve in soup bowl.(half bowl rice sprinkle of salt and spot of margerine on rice),fill rest of bowl with bean mixture. yummy oddly enough im making it today and i prefer a couple of dashes of louisiana hot sauce and a fresh loaf of homemade bread and butter. probably not the healthiest thing for you but damn its good. stores well in fridge or frozen and reheats well in microwave or on stove.

reply to post by Gridrebel


This is why you add during the initial boil then rinse and prepare the dish. Also make sure you're using the correct amounts - again it's approximately 1tsp for each cup of dry beans.

You shouldn't notice ANY flavor difference if you're adding soda at the right times. All it does is break down sugars.

If you're comfortable with water chemistry and know what your water profile looks like you might already have the sodium/bicarbonates needed to extract the complex sugars. What's important is the resulting pH reading during the soak/boil. You can assure yourself that complex sugars have been broken down into digestable ones by making a small soda addition. The beans will be rinsed thoroughly before they go into the actual cooking pot, so you shouldn't have any effect on flavor.

I don't want to go too far into the science part, but it's factual..not myth.