Enhance your food storage with beans

Did you know that beans are one of the most highly consumed items in the world? People survive on the protein supplements from various beans in areas where meat is scarce. So, if Mowgli, a boy in India, is thriving off kidney beans, it might not be a bad idea to follow his lead. All you really need are the bare necessities, right? Stockpile an army of buckets, bucket lids, plastic jars and plastic scoops in preparation to fight hunger with beans.

Beans exist in a multitude of shapes, sizes and flavors. There's pinto and kidney, not to mention, the expansive category of white beans which include: marrow, great northern, navy, pea and soy. With such a mixed bag of tastes and textures, beans provide a great staple for a developing food storage plan.

When packaged correctly, dry beans can be stored for up to 30 years. That means people could still be eating beans they packed in 1981 while jamming out to Olivia Newton John's Physical. Cool, but kind of weird at the same time. In order for your goods to withstand the test of time they should be stored in 5 or 6 gallon buckets. We carry buckets along with compatible gasket or non-gasket lids. Users who are looking to take advantage of their supply frequently choose to store their beans in glass jars. Browse our food glass inventory for ideas in sizes ranging from ½ oz to 1 gallon.

It's a good idea to store food away for an emergency, but don't be set against breaking into and rotating your storage. We carry plastic scoops to assist in transferring allotted amounts of beans from your bucket or jar to your cooking area. As time passes beans will get harder, but the nutrients are not disturbed. You can reanimate previously stored beans with a few quick steps.

The first measure toward preparing stored beans for meal use is the soaking process. This can be done slowly by leaving the beans in a water bath overnight, or executed more rapidly by simmering the beans for a few minutes. Boiling can culminate in splitting and a mushy final dish. Patience is a virtue, remember? So, take your time. If beans remain hard following soaking, place them in the freezer for a while. The cold temperature will break down the cellulose, resulting in a softer bean.

Beans can be used in several basic dishes like refried beans, chili, taco soup, split pea soup and several other never ending soups. But that's not all. Ever heard of pinto bean fudge or bean cream pie? (Pinto Bean Pie pictured below, mmm.) That's right, bean desserts.

The baking innovations don't subside with sweet indulgences. Soy beans, due to their lack of flavor, are often ground to a powder and utilized as a flour substitute. You'll never look at chocolate chip cookies the same way again. Soy beans are also handy when it comes to bulking up meat products. Adopting the flavor of its surrounding products, the food processed beans can be mixed with meat, extending the mass amount and flavor of the product.

Having beans on hand can be a multifaceted blessing. They're useful for urgent situations but also introduce inventive and money saving cooking techniques. Let us supply you with the containers and scoops to house these life-changing capsules of goodness. Be the coolest house on the block and throw a mean bean food storage dessert party.