Dried beans might just be one of the most versatile foods around.

Basic Storage Guidelines

By following basic storage guidelines, dried beans will stay fresh, tasty, and ready to be cooked into creamy perfection. Of course, you can store Camellia Brand beans right in the iconic cellophane bags they’re packaged in, just be sure to store them in a cool, dry, dark place away from sunlight — like your pantry.

You may notice that some Camellia Brand beanbags have a ‘Best By’ date stamp, but they’re safe to use after that date. In fact, according to foodsafety.gov, dried beans can be consumed within 1-2 years if they’ve been stored in a pantry from the date of purchase, or within 1 year if they’ve been opened and then stored in a pantry. Dried beans are considered ‘non-perishable’ foods, which means they have a long shelf life and can be stored at room temperature.

Tips for Storing Dried Beans in Containers

If you prefer using other types of storage containers such as glass or plastic jars, the key is to make sure they’re food-safe and have tight-sealing lids. In addition, you might want to consider:

• Using containers that hold the typical amount of beans you tend to cook at a time – for example, 1 pound or 2 pounds.
• Labeling your containers with the date you purchased the beans, so that you know how long they’ve been in your pantry.

Beans That Have Been Stored Longer Than A Year

Cooking and eating beans more than a year after purchase is perfectly safe, but they might require a longer cook time to become tender. Adding ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to each pound of beans while cooking can help make them softer.

Storing Cooked Beans in the Freezer

Feeling industrious? Double your favorite red beans & rice recipe, then enjoy with your family, and freeze the rest. You’ll thank yourself at a later date — when you don’t have the time or energy to cook. Another worthy idea is to cook dried beans in large batches, portion 2-cup increments along with some cooking liquid into small storage bags, and freeze. Then, when you need the equivalent of a can of beans for a recipe, just grab them from the freezer instead. Cooked beans in the freezer should last up to six months.

Red beans and rice is an essential dish of Louisiana cuisine. Folks flock to New Orleans and stand in long lines for a taste of this fantastic vegetarian dish.

Wait, vegetarian?! Yes. Unfortunately, we often forget the famed dish, (and truly any bean dish), can be made meatless and delicious — when using the right spices and seasonings. In addition, the bean is an amazing source of protein, a great iron source, and when served with a grain (think rice), it’s a complete protein.

As a culinary dietitian hailing from Louisiana, I recommend red beans and rice as a healthy dish for all my weight loss clients due to its fiber and protein content (read more about the health benefits of dried beans).

Want to try other kinds of beans but don’t know how to season them? Or maybe you have leftover beans you’re not sure what to do with? How can you add a new spin to a classic bean dish, or re-purpose leftovers into a completely new dish?

No fear! I consulted with my dietitian friends from around the U.S. to find out their favorite ways to spice up beans and lentils. Get inspired with their tips, and hit the kitchen. You just might add their suggestions to your weekly menu rotation, right alongside red beans and rice.

Here are simple tips to spice up plain cooked beans from three incredible dietitians. Linda Bojman, RD, enjoys thyme with her beans, while Amber Pankonin, RD, states, “If I am in a rush, I add a can of diced tomatoes and chiles to cooked black beans. It is delicious!”

Christy Wilson, RD, says, “I love to add fresh lime juice, cumin, paprika, canned or fresh tomatoes, and pepper to black beans for a quick weeknight supper.”

Can’t get enough black beans? Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, offers this: “I love adding garlic or onion powder to black beans while they’re cooking. The powder packs in a lot of flavor, and then I mix the beans with onions and bell peppers sautéed in low-sodium vegetable broth.”

Are lentils more your style? “Lentils pair well with Indian spices such as cumin, turmeric, and mustard seeds,” claims Sharon Palmer, RD. She also loves red beans. “My family loves a hearty chili featuring red beans and chili powder, tomato sauce, a bit of brown sugar, and vinegar.”

Elizabeth Ann Shaw, MS, RDN, CLT, says, “My husband hands-down loves my red lentils with habaneros, tomatoes, and red onion. We enjoy spicy foods, so anytime I use hot peppers and infuse them into beans and lentils, we both are satisfied! Bonus – he’ll even forget the ground meat and top his nachos with an extra helping of lentils!”

Looking for more of a Colombian style dish? Ximena Jimenez, RD, gives this tip. “In Colombia, we prepare beans with a tomato and onion sauce, called guiso, similar to sofrito. We add onions, tomatoes, scallions, finely chopped aji dulces, chopped cilantro, salt, ground black pepper, minced garlic cloves, and Worcestershire sauce.’

For a Puerto Rican style dish, take the suggestion of Betsy Ramirez, RD. “We add Sazon and sofrito to our beans. You can easily find it in the Latin section of the grocery store.”

Christy Wilson gives us a final tip for using leftover pinto beans. “I simply mash leftover cooked pinto beans with a little milk and spread on tortillas. It’s amazing!”

Do you have a favorite tip? Tell us, how do you spice up or repurpose your beans, lentils or peas?

Our friend Shelly Marie Redmond, MS, RD, LDN, is a culinary dietitian and founder of Skinny Louisiana.  Be sure to friend her on Facebook at Skinny Louisiana. For questions, email Shelly at shelly at skinnylouisiana.com. She goes for the classic red beans and rice!

When you’re in the grocery store aisle, gazing at the shelves, you’ve probably wondered — does it really matter whether I choose dried beans or canned? And what’s the difference, anyhow?

Well, here’s the scoop — broken down by cost & yield, taste, convenience, and more — so you can make an informed decision.

Cost & Yield

When it comes to value, dried beans still come out on top.

A 15-oz can of beans typically costs $1.20–$1.50, depending on brand and retailer, and yields about 1½–1¾ cups of drained beans, according to the Bean Institute.

By comparison, a 1-lb bag of dried beans averages about $1.50–$1.75 nationally according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics / FRED and yields 5–6 cups of cooked beans — roughly 10–12 servings (½ cup cooked = 1 serving, per the USDA Dietary Guidelines). That works out to roughly 15–25¢ per serving.

For premium, higher-quality brands like Camellia, which are stocked at major grocers, retail prices typically range from $2.20 to $2.80 per pound. Even at that premium, a pound of Camellia beans delivers about twice the yield per dollar compared to canned beans, along with the freshness, consistency, and flavor that make them a Southern kitchen staple.

Read more about how beans stretch your grocery budget in our Budget Meals with Beans: Affordable Comfort Food for Every Table post.

The Sodium Factor

Using dried beans lets you control the sodium. Beans are naturally sodium-free, but canned beans can contain added salt — for example, around 200 mg per ½-cup serving for canned pinto beans. Draining helps, and draining plus rinsing can remove up to about 40% of the sodium. Cooking dried beans from scratch lets you season to taste without added sodium, giving you full control over what’s in your pot. (The Bean Institute – Dry vs. Canned)

What about BPA?

Dried beans are BPA-free. You’ve probably heard or read about the controversial use of BPA in food containers. Most cans are lined with BPA-containing resin, and according to the Mayo Clinic, some research has shown that BPA can seep into food from containers that are made with it. Read more about their advice for reducing exposure to BPA, including cutting back on the use of canned foods. Using dried beans vs. canned lets you avoid the this issue altogether.

Taste

Cooked, dried beans just taste better. While there’s no scientific evidence to point to, it’s been written again and again that those who know their way around a kitchen prefer the taste, texture, and depth of flavor of homemade beans. In fact, canned beans can have a metallic taste, or they can be too salty or mushy. Cooking with dried beans lets you season them to to your taste and control how long you cook them — making sure they’re just as firm or as soft as you like.

Convenience

Dried beans are easier to cook than you think. At first glance, you might think that canned beans win in the convenience category. And if you’re in a pinch and haven’t planned ahead, canned beans can do the job. But if you want the health, price, and taste benefits of using dried beans, there are several ways to make them both easy and convenient. First, if you’re home but busy doing other things, cover them with water in a pot, add aromatics and seasonings, and put on a back burner to simmer for a couple of hours. They don’t need much attention! If you can’t be home to cook, consider throwing dried beans in a slow cooker with water, chopped veggies, and meats, and cook on low heat all day long. They’ll be soft and creamy just in time for dinner. There’s also the option of using a pressure cooker — which is a great way to cook dried beans in a hurry. And finally, the best way to wean yourself from the last-minute-canned-bean-habit is to cook dried beans in large batches, portion into small storage bags, and freeze. Then, when you need beans for a recipe, just grab them from the freezer instead of reaching for a can. Read more about cooking methods and storage here.

The post Dry Beans vs. Canned: What’s the Difference? first appeared on Camellia Brand.]]> https://www.camelliabrand.com/dry-beans-vs-canned-whats-the-difference/feed/ 0 https://www.camelliabrand.com/5-reasons-to-add-dried-beans-to-your-diet/ https://www.camelliabrand.com/5-reasons-to-add-dried-beans-to-your-diet/#respond Tue, 14 Jun 2016 16:17:05 +0000 http://www.camelliabrand.com/?p=29013 From traditional red beans and rice to white beans with shrimp to blackeye peas, beans embody the spirit of New read more ...

From traditional red beans and rice to white beans with shrimp to blackeye peas, beans embody the spirit of New Orleans. But dried beans, peas and lentils also have amazing health benefits that last long after that last delicious bite.

As a culinary dietitian, I recommend this remarkable, affordable food group to all my clients for the following five reasons:

1. Beans act as a body’s best friend

Just as you’re personally supported by friends and family, beans support your body by preventing many disorders and diseases. In other words, beans protect you from aging — and who doesn’t want that?

As a result, many medical associations encourage consumption of beans due to their high amounts of fiber, iron, protein and various nutrients that work to protect you from free radicals or aging. How do beans prevent aging? Just as an uneaten apple slice browns, free radicals allow your body to ‘oxidize’ or brown, similar to the apple. Beans help prevent your body from that kind of ‘browning’.

Organizations including the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society encourage bean consumption, and in 2016, the United Nations declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses (pulses include dry peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas). So eat up.

2. Beans are cancer fighters

Many of us know a family member, friend or loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer. In its latest startling findings, the National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2016, over 1.6 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. Fight cancer by adding dried beans, peas and lentils to your diet.

How is the bean such a cancer fighter? Beans contain both high amounts of fiber and folate.  Fiber allows the passage of waste through the gut and colon, while folate encourages healthy cell division. In particular, black beans contain large levels of anthocyanins giving the bean its super antioxidant power. The Adventist Health Study revealed those consuming legumes (beans, peas, lentils, etc.) more than twice a week were 47% less likely to develop colon cancer than those who consumed legumes only once a week.

3. Beans help stabilize blood sugar levels

The American Diabetes Association reported in 2012 that 9.3% of the population was diabetic. As a dietitian, I always recommend beans to my clients for blood sugar control.

Remember how the fiber in beans is an amazing cancer fighter? That fiber also helps with slowing down the absorption of glucose in your gut, thus helping to manage type 2 diabetes. This keeps both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia at bay.

4. Beans help lower cholesterol

The American Heart Association reports 43% of Americans have a cholesterol reading over 200 and recommend a high-fiber diet to help with lowering cholesterol.

Why? Soluble fiber helps block cholesterol in the gut from going into the bloodstream. The big blocker? Legumes! A study following 16,000 men showed that higher legume consumption was associated with an 82% reduction of coronary heart disease.

5. Beans promote weight loss

How can adding beans to your diet lead to weight loss? The common denominator is fiber. In addition to its cancer-fighting, blood sugar-controlling, cholesterol-lowering properties, fiber keeps you fuller longer — allowing you to eat less. Remember, fiber takes a longer time to digest, thus keeping you full and helping prevent overeating. The magic fiber gram number? We shoot for our clients to get 35 grams of fiber or more per day.

 

 

Our friend Shelly Marie Redmond, MS, RD, LDN is a culinary dietitian and founder of Skinny Louisiana. She practices in Shreveport, LA and can be reached at shelly@skinnylouisiana.com.

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