Beans. The magical fruit. Full of protein, cheap. Chances are, you have a few bags of dried beans in your pantry that you haven’t done anything with. Yet.

I mentioned to my co-worker this afternoon that I really hope my beans didn’t escape from the crock pot. She looked at me funny. That’s when I described my latest bean experiment.

“Is it healthier than just buying them canned?” she asked. I told her yes, plus it’s cheaper. Her raised eyebrow told me she wasn’t much interested in saving a few cents a can.

I have made beans using the boil, drain, and cook again method (which I’ll describe in a minute), but this time I decided to try the crockpot method. After Googling around I decided to use the directions found at the blog A Year of Slow Cooking.

1. The night before, dump the bag of beans in the slow cooker and cover with water to two inches above the beans. Let set overnight.
2. The next morning, freak out because you put two packages in thinking it didn’t seem like that many beans and wonder how much bigger they’ll get. Drain and cover with water again plus 2-3 inches. Cook on low for 8 hours. Hope all day during work that they don’t escape.
3. Sigh with relief when you get home. When the beans are “bite-tender,” drain and use right away or store in the refrigerator for a week or the freezer for 6 months.

Last year, I decided to try the “traditional” method.

I used the instructions from one of my favorite cookbooks, More With Less. I put the beans in a big pot with a ratio of 1 cup beans to 4 cups of water. I boiled for 2 minute and let sit for an hour. Then, brought to a boil again and simmered until tender (about an hour and a half or so . . . I lost track of time). Voila! Beans ready for chili or the freezer.

I was able to buy a 2.36 pound bag of black beans for $1.86 at the bulk food store. An old can I found in the cupboard from Meijer’s has a price tag on it for 74 cents. It’s a 15 oz can. According to “the experts,” a pound of dry black beans = 6 cups of cooked black beans. So I my big pot of beans should equal about 14 cups of beans. There are about 1.75 cups in a can. So I made about 8 cans of beans for 23 cents a can. The verdict? I’m not going to get rich by soaking my own beans but they are supposed to be healthier, and if I make enough bean dishes I will be able to save some dollars.

This post linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesdays

Related posts:

1. Pickled Green Beans / Dilly Beans / Canning 101
2. Pantry Essentials
3. Pantry Essentials: A Pantry. Help Me Organize It!
4. Pantry Essentials: All about Oil
5. Black Bean and Rice Skillet