January 6th National Bean Day

January 6th NATIONAL 'BEAN' DAY

History – Dry beans have been produced for thousands of years. Most common varieties originated in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Beans placed in the tombs of ancient
Egyptian pharaohs have been found to be viable after
centuries of storage. It is thought that the first beans
were brought to America by nomadic tribes crossing the
Bering Strait into Alaska. Large and baby lima beans
originated in Peru, thus the name “lima”. They were
brought to California on a merchant ship around 1900
and have been grown in the state since then.

Nutritional Value – Dry beans, known mostly for their high
protein value, are also high in fiber and many vitamins
and minerals. When combined with small supplements of
grain, such as rice or corn, beans can supply all essential
amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Beans are
low in fat and sodium and contain no cholesterol or sugar.
With their high carbohydrate content, they digest slowly,
satisfying hunger and energy needs for long periods of
time. Most beans, especially blackeyes, contain high levels
of folate, the B-Vitamin that can help prevent certain birth
defects and heart diseases.


Dry beans cost approximately 20 cents per serving!

Winter Squash, Chickpea & Red Lentil Stew

Spicy Maple Baked Beans

Laurel's Chili

Painted Desert Chili Mix in a Jar

Rosemary White Beans

Chipotle Pinto Beans by Valeria
Colorful Black Bean Salad by Jamileigh
Greek Layer Dip by Pixie
Two Bean Chipotle Hummus by kburie
Tibetan Lentil Soup by Tish

Is anyone going to celebrate National Bean day....by preparing beans??
I have ham leftover...thinking about doing some crockpot beans and ham

Homestyle Ham and Bean Soup
Lori, this one makes a great 'clean out your pantry' recipe!

It is so good too Katie! Wish I would have doubled the recipe when I made it.

Hello! I have a fun dried bean tip to share. I learned from a missionary in Costa Rica that no one soaks their beans there before cooking them. She likes to put her sorted and rinsed, dried beans in a crockpot, fill with water, and cook on low overnight. I tried this to make a pound of black beans for gallo pinto, and it worked wonderfully. I had enough room in my standard crockpot (after they had expanded) to do at least 2 pounds of dried beans. Additionally, my beans were cooked so gently that they didn't split the way they usually do when I cook them on the stove. I'm too impatient and I often let them boil rather than simmer. I did drain off the cooking water to try to decrease the enzymes that cause tummy gas. Now I'm going over all my recipes like chili, baked beans, soup, etc. and figuring out how to use dried beans cooked in the crock pot, to save a few pennies. The Betty Crocker cookbook says that 1 cup of dried beans expands to approximately 2-3 cups of cooked beans. And that a 14-15 oz can of beans yields about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cooked beans. I had fun at Walmart today picking out all sorts of dried beans. Have a blessed day!

Welcome Kris!
Thank you !! I've always soaked my beans prior to putting them in a crockpot!! I love the idea of being able to set it up before work in the morning...without alot of pre-thought
I'm going to try your way next!!

Thanks! Last night I tried 5 cups of beans in my crockpot and cooked for 8 hours before checking them. They weren't quite done, so I've kept them going through the morning, more like 12 hours. I just wanted to let you know in case it means you have to cook them longer than usual when you don't pre-soak. I would hate to have you come home hungry and have tough beans!

here are some great bean cookbooks

echosbeancookbook

annetysbeancookbook


and from sandi from ca

sandiscookbook

I never soak beans. I usually use the crockpot method or....
bring to a boil, let sit an hour, drain and then cook in the usual manner.

Whoops! I blew the National Bean Day thing today. I made cheese tortellini! But yesterday DH and I did OAMC and froze big batches of Chili Verde and Calico Beans, so we're still loyal supporters!

I love recipes that need the crockpot for 12 hours!!
I usually work 12 hour shifts....so I've never had a problem with recipes that need the time