Bean Quest, Part 1

Yesterday, I took the opportunity to finally face a culinary challenge that I've been avoiding for ... well, I won't say exactly how long, just, let's just say that, until yesterday I'd NEVER ACTUALLY COOKED DRIED BEANS FROM SCRATCH. Okay. There's my little confession.

Oh, I cooked WITH beans. Frozen and canned. Added them to various dishes; soups and salads. But it always felt like some basic cooking ritual was eluding me. After all, beans are a protein staple in so many cultures all around our world. And ridding my cupboard of canned foods is another step towards personal and global health. It turns out that not only is the product inside highly processed but the lining of the can itself contains BPA, the hazardous chemical found in plastic water and baby bottles.

Thursday at the Columbia Market, Margaret, our regional greenmarket coordinator, was handing out little samples of an amazing concoction -- black bean soup, made by Dan, at the Cayuga Pure Organics farm stand a few feet away. I'd been assiduously avoiding this stand for months. But the prospect of learning more about this magic potion lured me over. I've always thought of dried beans in the category of pebbles, or stones. But these were jewels. Shiny and multi-colored. They immediately cast their spell. After some discussion with the proprietor, I settled on a small bag of black beans and headed for home, visions of bubbling soup pots in my head.

That night, my confidence teetering on the edge, I scoured seven different manuals and the internet, comparing various bean-cooking techniques to find the perfect one. There is, among the experts, some disagreement. For instance: to pre-soak or not to pre-soak; if pre-soaking, to rinse or not to rinse; to cover with one, two, or four inches of water before cooking; to add flavorings at the beginning of the process or wait until they're done; to check for tenderness every 15 minutes or just leave 'em alone.

The one absolute rule everybody seems to agree upon: DON'T ADD SALT UNTIL THEY'RE FINISHED COOKING. It toughens the beans.

I decided to pre-soak. Overnight. (But not more than 12 hours, as warned.) Following instructions, I rinsed and drained the beans, checking for debris (none). Poured them into my big soup pot. Covered with an inch of water. Put the lid on. And went to bed.