Beans, beans, magical beans—an essential part of any food lover’s larder. However, it can be easy to rely solely on canned beans, pulses, and legumes. They’re quick, easy, and shelf-stable, and you can have dinner ready in a matter of minutes. But there are a whole lot of benefits of soaking and cooking your own dried beans instead.
More Economical
Dried beans ALWAYS work out cheaper. You can buy them in bulk from most health food stores and you’ll be amazed at how many pennies you save.
More Varieties to Choose From
With dried beans, you can choose from an amazing variety of heirloom varieties. This is a great way to support small-scale growers and help preserve local food security. Colorful dried beans will also look beautiful in jars on your shelves!
Sodium Content & Flavor Control
Canned beans are often high in sodium, even when you drain and rinse them. When you soak and boil your own beans, you can control the sodium content, as well as adding in more complex flavors like onion, garlic, chili, bay and lemon.
Easy to Freeze
You can freeze portions of cooked beans in their broth, ready to use whenever you are. This means you can cook your beans in large batches, and save on the long cooking time when you’re in need of a quick weeknight dinner.
Higher Nutritional Value
While all beans are full of nutrients, dried beans contain more protein, fiber, iron, potassium, and magnesium.
Delicious Bean Broth
Once you’ve cooked your beans, you’ll be left with an incredibly delicious and nutritious bean broth, perfect for adding depth of flavor to soups, stews, and sauces.
