I never used to eat a lot of beans until the last year, but I’m really glad that I started branching out. Though they are usually thought of as part of long-term food storage, they are just as important for the 3 month supply, especially when meat and other vegetables are limited. Yes, beans are vegetables, and they are delicious once you learn to cook them right. The easiest way I’ve found is in the crock pot. Cover the beans with water and let them soak overnight, then drain. Cook on high for several hours until they’re tender. Freeze any extras for a later day.
Update in 2019: If you have an Instant Pot, that is now my preferred method to cook beans.
If you choose to store canned beans, consider this: they don’t last as long, they often have salt added, and they cost about 3X as much (even though they are still cheap). They will also take up more space in your cupboard. All of my bean recipes are from dried beans.
For variety’s sake, I recommend choosing at least 3 types of beans to store. Learn a couple of recipes for each one. You won’t regret it. During the 6 weeks that I didn’t go shopping, we ate beans about 3 times a week. I didn’t get tired of them, but James was starting to. Still, it would’ve happened a lot sooner if we hadn’t had as much variety!
To see my favorite bean recipes, just do a search for “beans” on this blog.
