We’ve all been there.  A recipe calls for beans and we reach for the can.  Each time we do it, we promise ourselves that the next time we would use a healthier alternative.

It’s no secret that canned beans come with a high sodium content.  Canned beans also tend to have less flavor than their dried or fresh versions.

I bought a pack of dried red beans and tried a mini experiment.

I rinsed them and then soaked them in a pot overnight and by the next day they basically doubled in size.  It yielded the equivalent of about 4 regular cans of red beans.  Talk about savings!

Cooking was done for the day and therefore I didn’t need to use the beans right away.  After rinsing and straining them I decided to place them in a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer.

The next day I had a craving for Trini Oil Down.  I quickly pulled out my beans and tossed about 2 cups worth in the pot.  The result was absolutely delicious.  I like some texture to my beans and don’t like them at all mushy so they were perfectly cooked and had the texture that I wanted.

These steps can be followed for almost all kinds of beans and peas as well.  If you have access to fresh beans and peas, however, then you can wash them, shell them (if needed), place them in a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer.

Here are the simple steps:

1. Rinse and strain your desired about of dried red beans

2. Place in a large bowl or container and cover with water

3. Let these soak overnight.  By the next morning you’ll notice that they would have most likely doubled in size

4. Rinse and strain again

5. Place in large freezer bag or freezable bowl/container.  Seal tightly and place in freezer.

You’ll now have fresh red beans whenever a recipe calls for it