Many wilderness travelers have relied on beans for a basic food.
Question: What is the best way to cook dry beans when traveling time is limited?
Probably…
Soaked and cooked, then de-hydrated and packed. I can’t think of anyway to speed up cooking dried beans, but maybe someone else has.
T
buy canned
ditto
cook em before you leave and dehydrate them. OR soak all day in a tupperware thingy while paddling and use a pressure cooker small one you can buy and cook in that.
better yet…buy dehydrated already beans at a co-op or health food store where they sell bulk dried beans…save you time, fuel cost, bringing pressure cooker, use of dehydrater, space, weight and still have the same nutrition value.
or
throw them in a thermos full of hot water before you leave camp in the AM. By evening, you will have lukewarm, but edible beans.
Whatever method you choose,
try it at home with your camping equipment first.
See if you’re happy with the results before you take off on that adventure. Best of luck,
T
Thanks
I’ll experiment!
My $.02…
Forget the beans all together & buy a box of minute rice. Boil H2O, remove from stove, add rice, let stand 5 minutes, add condiments if necessary, eat…
If you have atleast 15 mins for a meal break, mix up some bannock at home. In 10 mins, you can cook the rice & bannock and eat or eat on the move after it is made?
Rice = 3 mins boil time, 5 mins saturate
Bannock (pre-mixed) = Add “A LITTLE” H2O, 5 mins per side
In 10 minutes, you can have your meal prepared & be eating. They are both light weight, easy, filling & VERY little clean-up.
But, if you insist on beans & not worried about weight, buy canned & eat them either warm or cold. If they are canned (like Bush’s), they are already cooked & can be eaten cold.
Paddle easy,
Coffee
Second the Thermos…
…or…paint a nalgene bottle black… fill it with water and beans and stick the nalgene on the exposed deck in direct sunlight…(allow for the beans to expand)
canned beans can be dehydrated
chop em up a little first. Some parks ban cans. Sometimes you just don’t want to portage cans.
Well, you could always just…
Open the can, pour into “freezer grade” zip-lock bags, boil water & drop the bag in the boiling water, let cook till warm/hot (preference), eat???
Paddle easy,
Coffee
Pressure cookers,
good idea. The darn things scare me, though. Had one blow up when I was young and dumb(er), and haven’t used one since.
I’m going to play with the Thermos idea this weekend. I’m skeptical, but willing.
T
What’s The Problem?
Did your fart sack loose its oder?
Quit watching old cowboy movies and eat rice.
Beans
Beans aren’t gassy if you eat no sugar with them.
re: cooking beans
I discovered a source for dehydrated white beans at Packit Gourmet. I think they come in 1 lb bags and cost a 1/4 of dehydrated beef or chicken. They take about 15 minutes to cook and pack a great amount of protein and carbs. I use them to make soups and to use as a base for a mushroom, onion, salami white bean dinner. They are great. Don’t take the dark road to instant rice, which is pretty much a worthless food.
What about…
Instant potatoes? Quick, light, easy, filling!! Cut up some hot dogs & add cheese… YUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
literally, a “meal in minutes”!
Paddle easy,
Coffee
instant black & re-fried beans
Most any health food store worth it’s salt should have a bulk section where you can stock up on instant dried black or re-fried beans. Simply boil some H2o, mix and wait 10 min. I’ve been using them on trips and at home for years. Packs small too.
No more?
We had those, but they seem to no longer be available in my city, which is in Canada.
My solution was to use a blender to make bean flour, which cooks really fast and is suitable for dips, tacos, burritos and the like. It needs a bit of seasoning, and isn’t instant, but quick. I hear a coffee grinder makes a more consistent product, but I just used my blender and accepted a bit of chunkieness.
pressure cooker
small amount of water add dried beans and cook for 8 - 12 minutes depending on bean type. Add some spices, dried sausage, rice and voila. My favorite for camping is: http://www.amazon.com/Hawkins-Classic-Aluminum-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B000GR8RL6