Perfectly Cooked Cannellini Beans
1 Jan
According to a long-standing tradition, it is customary to prepare a batch of black eyed peas on New Year’s Day to insure good luck for the forthcoming year.
Do cannellini beans count instead?
You may recall that learning to cook dried beans from scratch was on my “Learn To Do” list – and although I accomplished that task last year, I was not entirely pleased with the final texture and flavor of the beans.
However, by following Nick Kindelsperger’s (aka The Paupered Chef) simple instructions, I’m now the proud creator of three batches of perfectly cooked beans. No tough skin, no undercooked parts – these babies were just right.
And what did I do with all those beans, you might be asking? After cooling, I bagged them up (with a bit of cooking liquid added to each bag) and have them safely stored in the freezer – ready for soup at a moment’s notice.
Here’s the link to his concise, step by step instructions – but here’s my condensed version:
90 Minute No Soak Beans – adapted from Nick Kindelsperger
1 pound dried beans
1 ½ tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
Pour the beans into a large, heavy pot with a tight fitting lid, and add the salt. Add enough room temperature water to cover by an inch and a half, and bring to a boil.
Cover the pot, and set it in the oven. Set your timer for 75 minutes.
After 45 minutes, check to make sure there is still plenty of water in the pot. If necessary, add more boiling water.
Check for doneness at the 75 minute mark. (Mine actually needed another 10 minutes.)
These do look perfect! I’ve never tried the oven method, but it sounds great for the cold winter days!
Wow I love this method! I hate cooking beans on the stove because then I have to sit there and make sure that nothing catches on fire. But if I can throw them in the oven…I can sit in my room and actually get work done while they cook. Fantastic!
Happy New Year chica!
This sounds like quite a wonderful method! And congratulations on the accomplishment!
Your beans look absolutely perfect!
Happy New Year!
This is a pretty interesting way to cook beans. I never heard of putting them in the oven. I have heard that adding salt makes them tough, but yours look wonderful!! Sounds like this is a winner of a recipe. I can see many soups in your future. Maybe a get well soup for David?
My biggest annoyance about cooking beans over the stove is that I never remember to soak them overnight or start cooking them in time for meals. GREAT idea to freeze them. And the texture of them is the same after thawing?
Awesome! They do look perfect. So glistening.
This looks so easy! Although I don’t have an official “learn to do” list, I have been wanting to try cooking dried beans. I’ll definitely give this method a try.
Those do look perfect! I am really bad about planning ahead, so I always use canned beans; I definitely want to give this a try.
Those beans do look perfect! I have never tried the oven before for beans–I should give it a try.
I usually do the quick-soak method on the stove, but this sounds like a perfect alternative. Since dried beans are much less expensive than canned, this would be a great solution to having beans on hand.
Your beans do look perfect! Happy New Year!
I have been cooking dried beans for practically my whole adult life and I have never tried it this way. I think I have a new plan for next weekend…