Salt intake is an important factor to be conscious of when eating a healthy diet. Many of us far surpass the recommended levels of salt consumption per day. Not only is cooking with dried beans economical, it is a great way to omit the extra salt and preservatives found in canned goods, making dried beans the healthiest option. Although rinsing canned beans does help cut down on the sodium, dried is still your best option.
Trying to incorporate more dried beans into our meals meant I needed to find a convenient way to cook and store them. The easiest way I’ve found to cook dried beans is using the slow cooker method:
2. In a large bowl cover beans in cold water. About 3 inches of water above bean level.
3. Soak beans for 8 hours.
4. Drains beans, and rinse gently again.
5. Add beans to the slow cooker and cover with approximately 2 inches of water.
6. Cook on low for 8 hours.
The beans came out soft but not mushy. I tried this method on both garbanzo beans, and kidney beans. It worked beautifully each time.

Carefully remove the cooked beans from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and drain excess water.

If you wish, separate the beans into approximately 1 ½ cup portions and freeze for later use.
*Need a recipe idea? Try my Buffalo Roasted Chickpeas! Replace the canned beans with the slow cooked version.
Have a lovely day, friends!
Do you have any favorite beans recipes to share with me?