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02 - Cooking Pinto & Black Beans

HowPinto tobeans cookare yourthe storedprimary rice,protein beans,source in this plan. Black beans are interchangeable with pintos in every recipe and fatmethod on this page — withswap orfreely withoutbased extraon ingredients.

Before You Start

This guide assumeswhat you have rice, dried beans, and cooking fat as your base. It also assumes your cooking situation may not be ideal — no gas stove, limited water, limited fuel. Every method here is written with that in mind.

You may also have ingredients from the garden or other sources. Throughout this guide you will see [ ADD-INS ] sections. These are places where extra ingredients can be worked in if you have them. If you do not have anything to add, skip those sections entirely — the base recipe still works without them.have.

What You Need to Cook

    Dried pinto or black beans Water A pot with a lid (criticalSalt —Heat a lid cuts fuel use significantly)source A heatbowl sourceor (propanecontainer burner,for rocket stove, open fire, camp stove) Water Something to stir withsoaking

    That is the minimum. Everything else is a bonus.

    Water Requirements

    ItemAmount Dry Soak Water Needed OutputCook Water
    Yield Cooked 11/2 cup dryEnough riceto cover by 2 inches 2 cups water ~2 cups cooked 1/2 cup dry beans (pre-soaked) 2 cups water ~1.5 cups cooked 1/21 cup dry lentils (no soaking) 1.5Enough to cover by 2 inches 4 cups water ~1.53 cups cooked 2 cups Enough to cover by 2 inches 8 cups ~6 cups

    ConservationWater saving tip: The water you cook beans in is nutritious andbroth. canIf bewater usedis limited, do not discard it — use it as a soup base foror broth.drink Do not throw it out if water is limited.it.

    Cooking the Beans

    Beans take the longest and require the most planning. Do these first.

    Step 1 — Soak (if using whole dried beans)

    Cover beans in cold water andby soakat least 2 inches. Soak for 8 hoursto 12 hours, or overnight.

    This
      Soaking cuts cooking time roughly in half andSoaking makes thembeans easier to digest.digest If you cannot soak, add 30 to 45 extra minutes of cooking time.time and check frequently

      LentilsBlack dobeans notvs needpintos: Black beans may run slightly darker water during soaking and— cook in 20 to 30 minutes. If fuelthis is limited,normal. lentilsDrain areand therinse betterbefore choice.cooking regardless of bean type.

      Step 2 — Cook

      1. Drain soaking water and adddiscard
      Add beans to pot with fresh water to— the pot (roughly 2 cups water per half cup dry beans)beans Bring to a boil,full thenboil reduceReduce to a low steady simmer Cover with a lid Cook 4560 to 90 minutesminutes, dependingchecking onoccasionally beanand type,adding untilwater if the level drops below the beans Beans are done when they are completely soft all the way through — no hard center Add a pinch of salt nearin the endlast 10 minutes of cooking — adding saltit too earlyearlier toughens the skin

      Adding Fat

      Add one tablespoon of tallow or other cooking fat per person during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Stir it in and let it melt through the beans. This adds the dietary fat your body needs and significantly improves the flavor and mouthfeel of the finished beans.

      Alternatively heat the fat separately and pour it over the beans when serving.

      [ ADD-INS —]

      add

      Add any of thesethe following if availableavailable. ]None of these are required — the beans are complete without them.

      Add toearly (with the potbeans duringat cooking,the notstart after:of cooking):

      • Garlic clovescloves, (whole or crushed)lightly crushed — addshighest flavor,impact mild antimicrobial properties
      Green onion tops — stir add-in duringfor the last 10 minutesflavor Any leafyroot greensvegetables fromsuch as carrot, sweet potato, or potato — they need the gardenfull (kale,cook chard, spinach) — stir in during the last 5 minutes, they wilt fasttime A small amount of tallow or fat — stir in for richness Any dried or fresh herbs you have — bay leaf, thyme, oregano all work well with beans Hot pepper or chilileaf if available — remove before serving Dried chili or hot pepper — a small amount goes a long way

      Add in the last 10 minutes:

        AnyGreen rootonion vegetablestops, (carrot,chopped potato,Fresh sweetor potato)dried oregano, cumin, or thyme Tomato, chopped — addadds early,acid theythat needbrightens fullthe cookingwhole timepot

        IfAdd after cooking, stirred in or on top:

          Fresh kale, chard, or spinach from the garden — the residual heat wilts it in about 2 minutes Fresh green onion Any fresh herb you have none of
          these,

          Fuel plainSaving saltedTips

            A tight lid is essential — it traps steam and cuts cook time significantly Once the beans are stillsimmering steadily, the lowest possible flame that maintains a completegentle mealbubble whenis eaten with rice.

            Cooking the Rice

            Basic Method

              Measure rice and rinse once if water allows (removes surface starch, less sticky result)enough AddRetained toheat potmethod: withBring 2 cups of water per 1 cup of dry rice Bringbeans to a boil,full then reduce to the lowest simmer possible Cover tightly with a lid — do not lift the lid during cooking Cook 18 to 20 minutes Remove from heat and let sit coveredboil for 510 minutes before serving

              Fuel saving tip: Bring to a boil,minutes, then wrap the entire covered pot tightly in a blanketblanket, sleeping bag, or jacket. Let sit for 2 to 3 hours. The trapped heat willfinishes finishthe cooking the rice in 20 to 30 minutes with nozero additional fuel. ThisCheck isfor called retained heat cooking and works well with beans too once they are partially cooked.

              [ ADD-INS — add any of these if available ]

              Stir into the waterdoneness before cooking begins, or fold in after:

                A small amount of tallow or fat — stir into the water before cooking for richer riceserving. Salt — always, if you have it Garlic (minced or crushed) — cook in the fat briefly before adding water and rice Green onions — fold in after cooking Any fresh herbs — fold in after cooking Tomatoes (fresh or dried) — replace part of the water with tomato for flavor and vitamin C

                Putting It Together — Basic Meal

                This is the standard meal format. It takes roughly 90 minutes total if beans are pre-soaked, less if using lentils.

                  Start beans first — they take longest Start rice about 20 minutes before beans will be done Add fat to either the beans or the rice, or split between both Combine in a bowl or serve side by side Add any available garden ingredients as a topping or mixed in

                  Per person this produces:

                    A bowl of cooked rice (roughly 2 cups) A bowl of cooked beans (roughly 1.5 cups) Total: filling, complete protein, adequate calories for rationing

                    When Fuel Is Very Limited

                    If you need to conserve fuel as much as possible:

                      Use lentils instead of whole beans — 25 minutes versus 90 minutes of cooking time Use the retained heat method — bring to a boil, insulate the pot, let it finish on its own Cook a large batch once per day rather than smaller amounts twice — riceone andlong burn is more efficient than two short ones

                      Batch Cooking Reference

                      Beans keep well after cooking. Cook a full day's supply at once.

                      Dry Beans Feeds (per meal) Cook Time 1 cup 2 people 60–90 min 2 cups 4 people 60–90 min 3 cups 6 people 60–90 min

                      Cooked beans both reheat quickly or can be eaten at room temperature

                      Soakif beansreheating longer — 12 to 24 hours of soaking reduces cook time significantly

                      Simple Variations to Avoid Food Fatigue

                      Eating the same thing twice a dayfuel is anot real morale problem, especially for children. Small changes make a significant psychological difference.available.

                      Variation What to Do Fried rice Cook rice ahead, let cool, fry in tallow in a pan with salt and any available scraps Bean soup Add extra water to the beans and thin to a soup consistency Rice porridge Use 3 cups water per 1 cup rice, cook longer — thicker and more filling feeling Seasoned beans Save a small amount of fat, heat it, and pour hot fat over the finished beans Mixed bowl Combine rice and beans together rather than separate — different texture, same ingredients

                      [ ADD-INS — garden ingredients that change the meal most ]

                      These make the biggest difference to flavor and nutrition if you have any of them:

                        Green onions or garlic — the single highest-impact add-in for flavor Tomatoes — adds acid and brightness that cuts through the heaviness of beans Kale or chard — wilts into beans or rice quickly, adds vitamins A and C Hot pepper of any kind — even a tiny amount transforms the flavor profile Lemon or lime — if somehow available, a small squeeze over beans is dramatic improvement Any fresh herb — even a few leaves of something green changes the experience

                        Cooking Without a Stove

                        Open Fire

                        Works well. Use a grate or hang the pot over the fire. Control heat by moving the pot closer or further from the flame rather than adjusting fuel.

                        Rocket Stove

                        Very fuel efficient. Small pieces of wood feed a focused, hot flame. Excellent for boiling water and cooking beans. Can be built from bricks or cinder blocks in about 10 minutes.

                        Propane Camp Stove

                        The most convenient option. A standard 1 lb propane canister lasts roughly 1 to 2 hours of cooking time. For a family of 4 cooking once per day, plan for roughly 1 canister every 2 to 3 days. Stock accordingly.

                        Solar Cooking

                        A dark pot in direct sunlight with a reflective surround (foil, mirrors) can reach cooking temperatures on a clear day. Slow but uses zero fuel. More viable in Southern California than most places.

                        Quick Reference Card

                        Task Time Water Notes Soak beans 8 hrs Enough to cover Skip with lentils Cook beans 45–90 min 2 cups per 1/2 cup dry Salt at the end Cook lentils 20–30 min 1.5 cups per 1/2 cup dry No soaking needed Cook rice 18–20 min 2 cups per 1 cup dry Do not lift lid Retained heat finish 20–30 min None additional Wrap pot in insulation

                        SHTF Knowledge Base → Food and& Water → 02 - FoodCooking PrepPinto & CookingBlack Beans

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