Do you know the trick to having very tender and tender dried beans?
The secret is to cook them at a low and constant temperature.
How? 'Or' What ? By cooking them in an electric slow cooker!
The little extra is that you can prepare a large quantity, because dried beans keep very well in the freezer.
Here's how to cook delicious slow cooker beans so they're tender and melt-in-your-mouth . Watch:
- dried beans (regardless of the quantity)
- 1 teaspoon of salt for 500 g of beans
- seasonings of your choice:bay leaf, garlic, minced onion or aromatic herbs
- optional: pork belly, turkey leg or other smoked meat
- electric slow cooker
1. Soak the beans overnight (optional).
Rinse your beans in cold water and remove any broken or damaged beans. Then, put them in a bowl, cover with water and let stand overnight. Drain before cooking.
Note: this step is optional, but it's always better to soak the beans to remove the gas-causing sugars.
2. Pour the beans into the slow cooker and add the aromatics.
3. Cover with about 5 cm of cold water.
4. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and stir to dissolve.
5. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
6. Check for doneness after 5 hours.
If this is your first time cooking beans or a new variety of beans, start checking for doneness after 5 a.m. Then check every 30 minutes to make sure they are cooked to your liking.
There you go, now you know how to make delicious dried beans in the slow cooker :-)
Easy, fast and effective, right?
Thanks to this type of cooking, your beans are tender and melt-in-your-mouth!
No more beans that are too hard, overcooked or too salty.
This trick works with all types of dried beans, whether white or kidney beans and even those that are frozen.
Obviously, this recipe works with any slow cooker, including the Cookeo.
- How much to prepare? For small quantities under 500g I think a small 2 liter slow cooker is best. When I take out my large slow cooker, it's usually to cook 1 kg or more of dried beans.
- As a rule, cooking takes between 6 to 8 hours . If your beans are cooked but a bit too firm for your taste, add a second teaspoon of salt and cook until perfectly soft.
- How to freeze beans? If you have made too many beans, know that they keep wonderfully in the freezer. I freeze them in 500g portions, an ideal amount to reuse in another recipe or make an easy meal on the go.
- Why soak the beans? Normally, dried beans should always be soaked before cooking. But with a slow cooker, this step is not mandatory. Thanks to its low and constant temperature, the slow cooker guarantees perfect cooking, for very tender and tender beans! But because the soaking water extracts some of the sugars, I recommend soaking your beans if you want to avoid bloating all day.
- For the split peas and lentils: no need to soak small legumes like split peas and lentils.
- Add all the herbs, such as bay leaves or garlic, at the start of cooking. Why ? Because that's how their delicate flavors will infuse the beans and cooking water for as long as possible.
- Add 1 teaspoon of salt at the start of cooking. Contrary to popular belief, salt does not prevent dried beans from going soggy! On the contrary, the salt softens the outer shell of the beans while preventing them from bursting during cooking. Believe my experience:I always add salt at the beginning of cooking my beans and the result is impeccable every time.
- The cooking time varies depending on the type of beans. So if it's your first time cooking a variety of beans, it's best to stay home towards the end of cooking to see if they're to your liking. In addition, slow cookers cook more or less quickly depending on the model. Start checking for doneness after 5:00 a.m. Then, check every 30 minutes until they are perfectly cooked to your liking.
- For faster cooking , or if your beans are over a year old, soak them overnight in salted water:1.5 tablespoons of salt mixed with 2 liters of water.
