Ok, can we get real in this community about "if you're body doesn't agree with beans..."? We're talking gastrointestinal discomfort right? Or, gasp, gas? My body LOVES beans sometimes and other times... it DOES NOT. I do think this depends on the bean but have never tracked it closely. Maybe it's dried vs. canned, heirloom vs. reg bean. Have others noticed this? Looking for MY bean that tastes and treats my body well.
Try using a pinch of hing aka asafoetida when you cook the beans. You can find this in an Indian store. It makes the beans more digestible. Also - soaking with baking soda (sorry alison) can also make them more digestible. Soak over night. Rinse well.
Thanks for the tips! I found an old Bon Appétit article by Priya Krishna that sings the praises of hing for how it enhances flavor and taste AND "is great for producing farts." Maybe not what I'm going for. Or maybe i should embrace it?! Experiment!
Oh cool! Just be aware that hing has a very strong odor. I store mine in a plastic bag in the freezer. And you just need a pinch don't over do it! Hope it works for you.
It was because of you I made my first pot of beans! I can't remember which book they were in but they looked so pretty and delicious. But really, it was your permission to not soak them that gave me the oomph to finally try it. I've only done it once, but I'm definitely going to again, especially to try to mimic that olive-oily toast! My God (heart eye emoji).
P.S.
This past weekend, my boyfriend and I made the braised short ribs w/ potatoes and roasted carrots with tahini, both from Nothing Fancy (I think), and they were a hit! It was only us eating them, but we were still so shocked at what we accomplished. The spicy, orange, oily sauce from the short ribs!? Chef's kiss. Slurped up a lot of that. And I don't think either of us will ever get over the use of citrus in cooking. What a game changer.
Is it true that if your beans take more than 3 hours to cook you should throw them out (you say this in the video)? I have had this experience many times but I figured they're just old and I need to keep simmering them.. and then it's been 7 hours until they're finally done.
My first thought waking up this morning was about last night's dinner of brothy great northern beans (not soaked) on toast. Great resource of Rancho Gordo. My bean safari has begun.
I'm sad you're not going to celebrate beans as much anymore. I am, and have been, an avid RG Bean Club member for about three years now. Our home has a plethora of beans and when the pandemic panic happened last spring, I was able to gift so many bags of beans and celebrate the gifts that beans provide. They have natural protein and carbohydrates, they really are a perfect food. All that being said, I made your brothy beans for the first time with the addition of caramelized lemon on low and slow. I lost time and didn't worry about it. When it was determined they were ready, I topped the bowls with massive amounts fresh chopped tomato, a smattering of pretty olive oil, parsley and a jammy 6-minute egg. I almost took a photo, but just like you won't wash out your coffee filter before making your cup of coffee, I rarely take photos of my food. You just have to trust that I made it, it was crazy delicious and that you make a difference on our dinner table!
I think if you go to the RG Bean Club website, there is a "notify me" option...sign up. Also if you sign up for their newsletter, bean club or not, they do have some pretty good inspiration that they share.
Starting my batch of beans (great northern) and notice that they are all crinkly and wrinkled. I’m assuming that as they cook, they will “smooth” out? Hopefully I didn’t pick a variety that’s too small? Will find out in about 2 hours!
Ah yes, this happened to me and I thought for about 40 minutes that I just bought old dry beans. But, exactly as Alison commented, they did eventually smooth out.
So my past three meals have been brothy beans and it's been great. The one thing I'll say is when I packed away my leftovers, the beans absorbed all of that delicious broth. The next two bean-filled meals I had were great but I didn't get any of that awesome brothiness I had when it was fresh from the pot. Maybe I did something wrong?
Thank you for giving me permission to never pre-soak beans again!!
Ok, can we get real in this community about "if you're body doesn't agree with beans..."? We're talking gastrointestinal discomfort right? Or, gasp, gas? My body LOVES beans sometimes and other times... it DOES NOT. I do think this depends on the bean but have never tracked it closely. Maybe it's dried vs. canned, heirloom vs. reg bean. Have others noticed this? Looking for MY bean that tastes and treats my body well.
Try using a pinch of hing aka asafoetida when you cook the beans. You can find this in an Indian store. It makes the beans more digestible. Also - soaking with baking soda (sorry alison) can also make them more digestible. Soak over night. Rinse well.
Thanks for the tips! I found an old Bon Appétit article by Priya Krishna that sings the praises of hing for how it enhances flavor and taste AND "is great for producing farts." Maybe not what I'm going for. Or maybe i should embrace it?! Experiment!
Oh cool! Just be aware that hing has a very strong odor. I store mine in a plastic bag in the freezer. And you just need a pinch don't over do it! Hope it works for you.
Oh wait I misread your reply! Hing should reduce gas! Not increase. Try it!
Soaking them actually helps with this!
The best beans I ever made only happened after NOT soaking. Thank you Alison for showing me the way.
Ummm, yum. That is all.
It was because of you I made my first pot of beans! I can't remember which book they were in but they looked so pretty and delicious. But really, it was your permission to not soak them that gave me the oomph to finally try it. I've only done it once, but I'm definitely going to again, especially to try to mimic that olive-oily toast! My God (heart eye emoji).
P.S.
This past weekend, my boyfriend and I made the braised short ribs w/ potatoes and roasted carrots with tahini, both from Nothing Fancy (I think), and they were a hit! It was only us eating them, but we were still so shocked at what we accomplished. The spicy, orange, oily sauce from the short ribs!? Chef's kiss. Slurped up a lot of that. And I don't think either of us will ever get over the use of citrus in cooking. What a game changer.
Thank you - the home movies are making my Tuesday's! Also, where is the beautiful tortoise handle spoon from that's featured in the photo? <3
I really want to add the line “I am not a bean expert, only a bean enthusiast” to every bio I have to supply from now on.
If you don't happen to have bunches of dried herbs......can you just sprinkle what you do have in there from your herb jars?
The caramelized lemon was a game changer!
Is it true that if your beans take more than 3 hours to cook you should throw them out (you say this in the video)? I have had this experience many times but I figured they're just old and I need to keep simmering them.. and then it's been 7 hours until they're finally done.
My first thought waking up this morning was about last night's dinner of brothy great northern beans (not soaked) on toast. Great resource of Rancho Gordo. My bean safari has begun.
You always inspire me and besides who doesn’t like a good pot of beans? Like no really?
I'm sad you're not going to celebrate beans as much anymore. I am, and have been, an avid RG Bean Club member for about three years now. Our home has a plethora of beans and when the pandemic panic happened last spring, I was able to gift so many bags of beans and celebrate the gifts that beans provide. They have natural protein and carbohydrates, they really are a perfect food. All that being said, I made your brothy beans for the first time with the addition of caramelized lemon on low and slow. I lost time and didn't worry about it. When it was determined they were ready, I topped the bowls with massive amounts fresh chopped tomato, a smattering of pretty olive oil, parsley and a jammy 6-minute egg. I almost took a photo, but just like you won't wash out your coffee filter before making your cup of coffee, I rarely take photos of my food. You just have to trust that I made it, it was crazy delicious and that you make a difference on our dinner table!
How does one get into the RG bean club these days??
I think if you go to the RG Bean Club website, there is a "notify me" option...sign up. Also if you sign up for their newsletter, bean club or not, they do have some pretty good inspiration that they share.
Starting my batch of beans (great northern) and notice that they are all crinkly and wrinkled. I’m assuming that as they cook, they will “smooth” out? Hopefully I didn’t pick a variety that’s too small? Will find out in about 2 hours!
They will float a little and look a little wrinkly until they become saturated on the outside and eventually sink/smooth out!
Ah yes, this happened to me and I thought for about 40 minutes that I just bought old dry beans. But, exactly as Alison commented, they did eventually smooth out.
what do you do with the onion and shallot peels?
So my past three meals have been brothy beans and it's been great. The one thing I'll say is when I packed away my leftovers, the beans absorbed all of that delicious broth. The next two bean-filled meals I had were great but I didn't get any of that awesome brothiness I had when it was fresh from the pot. Maybe I did something wrong?