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How to Cook Dry Beans – Pressure Cooker Recipe

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Do people actually cook with those dried beans or does everyone just layer them into Mason Jars to gain hipster points?  The traditional way of preparing beans, with the overnight soak, hours of cooking, and on and on is just too much for me.  Fine I’ll just eat the canned stuff if that is the only option.

Then I was introduced to one of my favorite new tools in the kitchen, the pressure cooker!  My dad bought me this one (Fagor Duo 8-Quart ) on Amazon and had it sent to my apartment.  I thought “Cool Dad, maybe I’ll use this once or twice…”  Little did I know how awesome this tool would be for producing a few key foods that can take your dishes to the next level.

With dried beans, a whole new world of fresh and clean food opens up that cannot be obtained from a can.  On top of the variety of dried beans available, you can even save some cash over purchasing organic canned beans.  If you can do a few extra steps and save a little, that might just allow you to splurge on a few other healthy eating items or better wine!  At least this is how I validate it to myself.

Recipe Inspiration – Bean cooking time table from FastCooking.ca

I challenge you to bring home some new varieties of beans and try them out!  I found a very useful table from www.fastcooking.ca to assist you in your quest to prepare the perfect bean.  The recipe I have detailed here is an “Unsoaked, Quick Release” application.  Supposedly a pre-soak cleanses some of the “gas” producing enzymes from the beans, but I kind of think this is an old wives tale.  For me, organic beans prepared this way are fantastic, and do not cause any additional fragrant side effects.

Be sure to leave out the salt!  This will make your beans moooshy and kill the texture.  Another big win over the commercially canned version.

Preparing beans fresh each time you want to toss together a chili can be a hassle, but luckily they freeze up pretty well.  I am big fan of storing them in quart sized ziplock freezer bags and stacking them flat in the freezer.  There are also methods to can your own beans in Mason Jars, but I have not worked out the best practices yet.

Let’s cook!

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How to Cook Dry Beans – Pressure Cooker Recipe

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Ingredients

• 3 Cups – White Beans (Soldier Beans, Navy Beans)
• 9 Cups – Water
• 2 Tablespoons – Olive Oil
• 2 – Bay Leaves

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1. Rinse white beans (AKA Great Northern) in a colander with cold water.  Check for any foreign objects or flawed beans.

2. Add beans and water to pressure cooker.  A basic rule is 1 part dry beans to 3 parts water.

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3. Add bay leaf and olive oil. Remember no salt!

4. Heat on medium-high un-covered until boiling.  Cover and secure lid.  Set to high pressure (#2 on the Fagor, or 16 PSI).  Leave heat at medium-high until the cooker begins to vent and steam is steadily escaping.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 28 minutes after reaching pressure.

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5. To perform the quick-release method, take the cooker (still locked) to the sink and run cold water over the top.  This will rapidly release the pressure preventing your beans from over cooking.

Let’s Eat!