Beans, beans the musical fruit, do you really want more of them in your diet? Yes!

They are rich in fiber, protein, and essential vitamins and minerals. Everything growing bodies need to stay healthy and happy. It’s no surprise that beans are a common ingredient in many cultures are around the world. I must admit, I often reach for canned beans because they are a convenient and nutritious pantry item.  However, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, “canned, boxed, frozen, and prepared foods can be high in sodium.” Make sure to check the labels if you do go the convenient route.

Salt intake is an important factor to beaware of. Many of us far surpass the recommended levels of salt consumption per day. And a lot of this is to do with our consumption of ready-made foods which use salt as a preservative.

But worry no longer, not only is cooking with dried beans economical, it is a great way to omit the extra salt and preservatives found in canned goods.

Trying to incorporate more dried beans into our meals meant I needed to find a convenient way to cook and store them. The easiest way I’ve found to cook dried beans is using the slow cooker method:

1. Rinse and pick over dried beans
2. In a large bowl cover beans in cold water. About 3 inches of water above bean level.
3. Soak beans for 8 hours.
4. Drains beans, and rinse gently again.
5. Add beans to the slow cooker and cover with approximately 2 inches of water.
6. Cook on low for 8 hours.

The beans came out soft but not mushy. I tried this method on both garbanzo beans, and kidney beans. It worked beautifully each time.

• Carefully remove the cooked beans from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and drain excess water.

• If you wish, separate the beans into approximately 1 ½ cup portions and freeze for later use.

Right now my freezer is stocked with frozen beans! I went on a bit of a dried bean cooking spree .

*Need a recipe idea? Try my Buffalo Roasted Chickpeas! Replace the canned beans with the slow cooked version.

Have a lovely day, friends! Do you have any favorite beans recipes to share with me?