Hawaii's Share Your Table

Hearty, filling, nutritious and economical, beans are the perfect food for a Sunday Night Supper. It doesn't take very long to cook a pot of beans from scratch; here are the basics.

1. Purchase "fresh" dried beans. Look for beans of good color, unshriveled and uncracked. Dried beans, usually fresh in the fall, are best eaten within a year of harvest. Buy beans at a store that you know sells a lot of beans.

2. Soak beans in water overnight to help speed up cooking time. A pound of beans will expand to 6 or 7 cups of cooked beans.

3. Drain the beans and discard the soaking water. Place beans in a large, wide pot and cover them with water, at least an inch above the beans. Bring the water to a boil, skimming the foam that rises to the top. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and gently simmer the beans.

4. Add an onion, garlic, herbs or spices to the beans if you wish. You can also add salt, if desired.

5. Test beans for doneness after about 45 to 60 minutes. Some beans will take up to 2 hours to cook, depending on the variety, age and size of the bean. Once the beans are cooked – they should be soft all the way through but not mushy – drain the beans, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Beans are now ready to use in the recipe of your choice.