Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit

This is one of my favorite kitchen tips, courtesy of my Mainiac (person from Maine, of course) friend Kendra (who is my favorite source of tips, kitchen or otherwise).

  

It's one of my favorites because it ... WORKS. Noticeably. Ready?

   

In order to make beans less "musical," add a 2-inch piece of dried seaweed (like kombu). That's it. It is incredible how well this works. ***NOTE: This only works if you use the overnight soak method, not a quick-soak method.***

  

   

So here's how we do beans here (it's so simple, my 2 1/2 year-olds can help):

     

1. Dump the entire contents of the dried bean bag into the crockpot. Add the seaweed. Cover with about 4 inches of water. Let sit overnight.


2. In the morning, drain the beans. Add fresh water, covering by about 2 inches (or more). It's fine to leave the seaweed (which will have "grown") in there. You won't notice any seaweedy taste...it just kind of dissolves and you might find a few "green" beans.  


3. Put the crockpot on "HIGH." Leave for 2-4 hours (until the beans are soft). Let cool, and spoon the beans into 2-cup (or more) portions in freezer bags with some of the bean juice. Now you can freeze them. When you need beans, microwave for 3 minutes to thaw. TA-DA!

  

Now you can enjoy your beans without the "organ recital." Thanks, Kenj!