Preparing your Beans from mixes
HOPPIN' JOHN, BLACK BEANS & RED BEAN MIXES
- Rinse and Pick over beans. Place in heavy pot with 3 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let soak for 1 hour.
- Drain and rinse. Add 5 cups water and seasoning package. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 2 hours or until beans are tender but firm.
- Uncover, increase heat to medium and boil gently 30 minutes until beans are slightly thickened.
- (Rice)Where applicable, at this time, combine rice and 2 cups cold water, 1 tsp. salt (optional) in heavy 2-3 quart pot.
- Bring water to a rolling boil, lower heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer 20 minutes while covered without stirring or removing lid, which can make rice gummy.
Serve beans over hot rice.
Preparing your Soups
SOUTHERN BEAN SOUP
1. Rinse and Pick over beans. Place in heavy pot with 3 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let soak for 1 hour.
2. Drain and rinse. Add 8 cups water and seasoning package. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 2 hours or until beans are tender but firm.
3. Uncover, increase heat to medium-low and boil gently 30-40 minutes until beans are slightly thickened.
4. Discard Bay leaves
5. Serve with piping hot buttered cornbread sticks.
Makes 10 Cups.
Alternative Cooking Method
RICE
After this has come to a boil remove from heat and pour into 8x8 glass baking dish along with 1 cup rice.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until rice is done.
This is a fool proof way of cooking rice and it has the most flavor!
Save Time with the Pressure Cooker
INSTANT POT COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Place beans in pot with water amount from recipe tag, then add the spices. Soaking is not necessary. Seal the pot and cook on the bean/chili setting. If your instant pot does not have that setting cook on “ high pressure” for 30 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 25 minutes. Beans will be ready to eat. If you are cooking the Southern bean soup you can add a leftover ham bone before cooking. This is for the beans only. If you have one of our recipes with the rice, cook the rice separately and then add to the beans after they are cooked.
ENJOY!
Red Beans & Rice was traditionally cooked on Monday - wash day - so the beans and ham bone could simmer all day while the laundry was being done.