Bean Basic

For such tiny little things, beans offer some pretty big health benefits. Not only are they high in protein, fiber, calcium, potassium and iron, but beans can also lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of cancer and protect against ulcers.

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Buying in Bulk vs. Canned Beans

When you scoop your own beans, you'll have much more to choose from compared to what you'll find canned on a shelf (health food or ethnic grocery stores have the largest selections). Another great advantage of buying in bulk is that you have control over how your beans are cooked, while canned beans usually contain salt and other spices or seasonings.

On the other hand, canned beans offer the convenience of being fully cooked and ready to add to any recipe--perfect for the busy home cook. And you can modify your recipe to account for any seasonings canned beans may contain (check the labels to see what’s been added).

Here are some tips for buying in bulk:

Buying in Bulk

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Soaking Beans

For the best results, you'll want to soak your beans overnight, but in a pinch, you can do a quick-soak about an hour beforehand.

Full-soak:

• Rinse beans in cold water, picking out any shrunken ones as well as pebbles or grass (beans are very much a product of the earth and even the highest-quality brands may have dust and little rocks in them).
• Place in a pot with at least three cups of water for every cup of beans--refrigerate overnight.
• Discard any beans that float to the top--these are most likely hollow, or they may have been sullied by mold or insects.

Quick-soak:

• Rinse and pick through beans, then place them in a pot with enough cold water to cover them by two inches.
• Bring to a boil, cap the pot with a snug-fitting lid, remove from the heat and let sit for one hour.
• You can either keep the cooking water and proceed with your recipe, or you can drain the beans and start again with fresh water. (Using fresh cooking water will not, as some cooks claim, reduce beans' gas-causing properties. To build up your body's ability to digest beans, simply eat them more often.)

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Cooking Beans

When you're ready to cook the soaked beans, drain them, and cover them with fresh water.

• Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
• Check periodically and keep enough water in the pot so beans are always under at least ¼ inch of liquid.
• Once soaked, beans will take between one and two hours to cook, depending on their size.