My husband is diabetic and eats a lot of beans. We buy about 12 different types of beans (we can get some local types here also), and he takes my big water bath canner and cooks up a whole pot of beans. To cook beans like this, we put hot water in the pot, put the beans in, and bring the beans to a boil, then turn the pot off and allow to cool. This takes up to 4 to 6 hours depending on the type of beans we found when we went shopping (some take longer than others) and how much we are cooking at the time. When the pan is cool enough to pour the water from the beans, we then put the beans back into boiling water and allow them to cook overnight at a simmer. In winter, we use our wood heat stove to cook them.
In the morning, we can all the beans as well as the bean curd (the stuff left when the beans are gone). It takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to can them in the water bath canner. This will last us a month and my husband eats them 3 times a day. He usually gets 12 to 15 quarts of beans out of one canning. We don't even buy canning jars. We find that we can use the jars from many things we buy or people give us, and we can use them over and over until the lids will not seal anymore.
Cooking beans this way helps cut out stuff that produces gas in the beans.
By Jackie from Carrizozo, NM
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I was thinking, with all those beans being eaten, you were probably also saving on natural gas this winter! Too bad about the cooking method cutting down on that benefit.
Check out the USDA website on how to can beans. Beans are a low acid food and should not be water bath canned. The risk of botulism is very high, and you could get really sick from improperly canned beans. Even canning them for a very long time does not eliminate the risk of botulism, which grows in anaerobic (without) air conditions. Please, please, please be careful!
I have to add my warning to the others before me. I have been canning for more than 60 of my 72 years, still do love to can what comes to hand, and produce in season. The one thing I learned early on was to know what to can with pressure, which raises the temperature to a level that makes the low acid foods safe, when done properly, for the right length of time, under pressure. You are fortunate to not have become very ill, and I can not stress "ill" strongly enough, by eating beans without pressure canning. If you cant do the pressure canning, can you possible freeze portions to stay safe. Just a concerned old gal who cares. Loretta from AL.
I don't know what diabetics should eat, but is is healthy to eat beans 3 times a day? He must eat other things too.
You could just grind up the beans when they're dry in the blender, and add the bean flour to cold water when you're cooking. saves a lot on time, electricity, energy, and stretches out your beans.
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Another way to make your grocery money go further is to make items from scratch.
I buy dry beans and soak overnight, wash and then put into my pressure cooker. I make enough for several meals.
I put in a package of dry kidney beans as well as pinto beans. Once cooked, half is made into chili and the other mashed and ready for Mexican dinners. I freeze whichever I don't use for that night and then when I'm in a hurry I take out the other one and microwave it.
By RoseMary
