Riverton Utah Stake Relief Society


Provident Living

Newsletter


October 2008

Volume 1; Issue 8

Sisterhood - Then and Now

We appreciate your support at the October Enrichment; your service was exemplary; your sacrifice of time and energy on that busy weekend was inspiring. Thank you for your generous contributions and hours of service. Items will be delivered on the 1st of November to the Humanitarian Center.

The Stake Relief Society Presidency - 2008

Using beans and peas in recipes

Beans and peas are versatile enough to fit in a variety of recipes. Here are some suggestions.

Prepared by MSU Extension Food Safety Area of Expertise Team; edited by Joyce McGarry, MSU Extension

Bean Arithmetic

  • A pound of beans measures about 2 cups.

  • Beans triple in volume when soaked and cooked.

  • A cup of dry beans yields 3 cups cooked.

  • A pound of dry beans yields 6 cups cooked.

  • Use 3 cups of water per cup of dry beans for soaking.

Cannery Dates

Sandy Utah Home Storage Center Dry Pack (801-561-8104)

November 6th - 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm

December 6th - 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

This time have been reserved for our Stake.

Chili

7-8 Cup Pinto Beans

Salt

1 Lb Ground Beef (Browned)

2-3 Can (6 oz) Tomato Paste

4 Cloves Garlic (Minced)

1 tsp Oregano

4 tsp Chili Powder

2 tsp Onion Powder

Clean & rinse pinto beans; add water almost to the top of your pan & bring to a boil (watch closely & add water as needed); let simmer until soft (~3-4 hours).

Add salt to taste ~½ way through boiling time.

Add ground beef, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, chili powder, & onion powder; let simmer another hour.

Minestrone Soup

2 Cup Kidney Beans

½ Onion (Chopped, Sautéed)

2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)

2 Carrots (Peeled & Cut into Circles)

2 Potatoes (Peeled & Cut into Squares)

1 Cup Small Elbow Macaroni

1 Can (8 0z) Tomato Sauce

Clean & rinse kidney beans; add water almost to the top of your pan & bring to a boil (watch closely & add water as needed); let simmer until soft (~3-4 hours).

Add salt to taste ~½ way through boiling time.

Drain water & save; add above ingredients; re-add water as needed; cook until carrots are kind of soft; don’t over-cook macaroni; add salt & pepper to taste.

The Basics of Beans

Store & Soak

How To Store Dried Beans

Dry beans should be stored at room temperature in covered containers. They will keep almost indefinitely. Do not keep dry beans in the refrigerator, the beans may absorb water and spoil before you use them. The plastic bags beans are packaged in are good for storage, if they are airtight. Once opened, the bag may be reclosed with a twist tie. For the longest storage life, keep beans in a glass or plastic container with a tight fitting lid.

Sorting

Sorting beans means picking over the beans before cooking them. Remove small rocks, pieces of dirt, beans with holes or cavities, badly misshapen or wrinkled beans and those greatly undersized or discolored.

Rinsing

Washing is not part of the packing process because water would rehydrate the beans. Do not rinse beans until you are ready to soak or cook them.

Soaking

The purpose of soaking is to begin rehydration before cooking, thereby reducing cooking time. During soaking, beans make up their lost water, increasing up to twice their dried size. Enough water must be used to keep the beans covered while soaking. Once rehydrated, beans cook in 1 to 3 hours, depending on the type of bean. There are basically two methods for soaking: long-soak and quick-soak. Both work equally well.

Long-soaking takes time and some advance planning, but needs very little effort. First, cover the beans with water at room temperature. Soak them overnight or for 8 to 10 hours. Keep the beans covered by water while soaking. Be sure the soak water is at room temperature. Hot water may cause the beans to sour. Cold water slows rehydration and the beans will take longer to cook. Cooking time will also be longer if beans are not soaked long enough – at least 8 hours. Beans soaked longer than 12 hours can absorb too much water and lose their characteristic texture and flavor.

Quick-soaking rehydrates dried beans in little more than 1 hour. Bring the beans and water for soaking to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove the beans from the heat and cover the pot. Let the beans stand in the soak water for 1 hour. At the end of the hour beans are ready to cook.

Note: The longer soaking time is recommended to allow a greater amount of sugar to dissolve, thus helping the beans to be more easily digested.

To Discard Soak Water or Not

Some people are more susceptible than others to the discomforts of the gas, or flatulence, sometimes caused by eating beans. Flatulence occurs when bacteria normally found in the digestive tract reacts on certain chemical compounds in beans. Some are water-soluble and will be partially removed when the bean soak water is discarded. Current research shows that only small amounts of nutrients are lost when soaking. For many people, the discomfort avoided by discarding the soak water is more important than the small amount of nutritional benefits from using it.

Hard Water

Some cooks suggest adding a small amount of baking soda to the cooking water to soften it. Amounts of baking soda over 1/8 teaspoon per cup of beans may destroy the thiamine (Vitamin B1) in beans. Thiamine is a valuable nutrient and one reason why beans have a reputation for being nutritious. If you have hard water and are in doubt as to whether or not to use baking soda, buy purified bottled drinking water – not distilled water – for soaking and cooking beans.

Charity Never Faileth