PINTO BEANS, 20 LB

The humble pinto bean and how I like to use them...

I love to talk about pinto beans because when I was first married and figured out that I could use dry beans to stretch our family's budget, I made a lot of kitchen bloopers. The first time I tried to soak them overnight, they ended up swelling inside the jar so tightly, that I had to get them out with a knife!

I've learned a lot since then, and I've come up with a neat idea that helps me keep dry beans at the ready for a quick supper. I'll share it with you in a minute.

Sorting

Before you use dry beans, especially larger beans like pintos, you need to sort through them to make sure there aren't any stones or clumps of dirt in them. Even mechanically cleaned beans will have a few stones in them - I almost always find a small pebble or two in my pinto beans.

Soaking

Because pinto beans are dry, they need to be soaked for at least 12 hours before you cook them. A good rule of thumb is that the beans will double in size when they're finished soaking, so if your recipe calls for 4 cups of cooked beans, start with 2 cups of dry beans. 

Just put the beans in a bowl and cover them several inches deep with water and leave to stand overnight. You can soak them for up to 24 hours. After that, rinse and move them to the fridge if you're not ready to use them. They'll keep for about another day.

Here's a tip for quick beans on-the-double...

I try to plan my meals ahead of time, but sometimes I forget to soak the beans until it's too late to add them to the chili. Instead of  trying to remember, I keep a few bags of different kinds of beans in the freezer. Just soak them for 12 - 24 ours, drain, and transfer to labeled ziplock bags. Freeze the beans for up to a month. When you're ready to use your frozen beans, just add enough water to cover, and simmer. Or cook pinto beans in the crockpot with salt, garlic, pepper, and water. 

You can also grind a third cup of beans and add them to your favorite bread recipe for added protein.