Survival Beans | Easy to Store & Cook | Favorite Recipes

50 Comments

1. >>> Bean Recipe Cookbooks <<<

2. Thanks NRP! I’m always looking for excellent recipes to use beans from storage. Will be trying these out for sure. And I’m happy to say that this year’s garden is growing the Italian Borlotti for us. Looking forward to many happy winter meals with those too.

3. Thanks, NRP. We also store a large quantity of beans (more than 1,000 pounds now). Much of our bean supply is packed in mylar, in 5-gallon buckets. But we also have quantities of beans in #10 cans, home-canned pints, and store-canned 15-oz cans. In a disaster situation, we would initially reach for those beans before diving into the 5-gallon buckets of stored beans — that’s why we have beans in those forms.

   We also keep 24 #10 cans of dehydrated bean flakes (the pinto beans) in stock because they are so darn handy to make for soups, burritos, and taco meals. Those dehydrated flakes make the best soup thickener, too, so about half of our soups get thickened with those bean flakes (They’re also delicious as a snack food “as is”!).

   You’re so right about the protein found in beans. For anyone involved with food storage & food preps, dried beans are very important food to store!

   I’ve never heard of the Mortgage Lifter beans before — I’ll have to research that variety.

   1. Modern Throwback;
      The Bean Flakes sound interesting, will need to check those out.
      I agree 100% on having some Canned/Cooked beans on hand, quick and easy for those “short term SHTF’s”. But long term…. Personally I do not plan on going hungry If/When the Lights-Out.
      As far as the Mortgage Lifters, the place I get them is Adobe Mills Dove Creek CO. they sell out very fast seems there is only one place on Dove Creek that grows them, patented or something like that.
      I understand this should be a bumper crop of beans up there so maybe…..

   2. Ditto on the dehydrated beans. Nice comeback Modern Throwback.

4. Heh heh. So Beans are in the same league as TP, NRP? Just kidding.

   I have become the dry bean cooker in the house for the last ten years or so (note the chronology), and have half an eye out for a recipe that a person can use to make 5 bean salad. The best 5-bean salad I ever had was well over 50 years ago visiting my grandparents in the Midwest, and its still memorable! I see Kens link to a bean recipe cookbook, and am about to click on it, but mebbe someone also has a favorite recipe for 5 bean salad they can share?

   1. Bogan;
      I have a 5-bean salad recipe from my Grand-Ma. Will look it up tonight.
      NO store-bought canned bean stuff for her that’s for sure. Heck she would NEVER think of using sugar to sweeten it a little, always Honey.

      PS; Beans are the reason for the TP LOLOL

5. Beans and Rice. Everything else is garnish and flavorings. For greens, and absolutely the only additional food required to create a perfect human diet, just add some Purslane, a plant which grows all by itself, and is the most nutrient filled plant known to science, and even includes omega 3.

   Beans.
   Rice.
   Purslane.
   Optional garnish & flavorings.
   Done.

6. Oh, and Purslane, besides being the most nutritious plant known, is also the most covert food crop you can possibly plant. Your entire property could be covered with Purslane, making it a human food bounty…and the Zombies, neighbors, and government types, would never know it…even standing on it…and will always fail to loot it from you.

   Just find a few Purslane plants growing from some crack in the sidewalk, or the side of the road, pick it…and take it home. This way, the strain of Purslane is already naturally selected for your particular environment, and is the most hardy. It is also free and requires no attention…and you do not need to worry about pests. The perfect survival food. None better.

   1. And please note that by the time you see the blossoms it’s already dropped seeds. Shake your harvested purslane over a piece of paper and you have seeds to plant wherever you want.

   2. Ision;
      Will be checking out Purslane out for sure, I but I have some growing as a “Weed” and don’t know it
      Thanks

      1. NRP please be aware their is a look alike to Purslane that is toxic. Please look it up. Also like most wildcrafted foods low volume compared to garden plants.

         Is chickweed related?

         1. Nothing low volume about Purslane, in fact, you will have to chop it down to keep it from taking over everything.

            SPURGE, which is confused with Purslane is easily distinguished, as the sap is white and the plant looks different in easily recognized ways. Once you see the two plants, you will NEVER mistake them.

      2. In America, Purslane is considered to be a weed. But, everywhere else it is in supermarkets. Use it like you would lettice. Did you know the book “Wilderness” by Thoreau? He survived off of Purslane .

         1. I meant “Walden” by Thoreau. I used to swim in Walden Pond as a child…by the way.

         2. Chuckle it’s a small world as I too have swam in Walden Pond as well as followed his river trip up into NH. A great kayak camping experience.

            Thoreau spent a lot of his time hot footing into town to visit his friend Emerson for a good meal and a hot bath.

            I’ll pull out my copy of Walden this weekend and see his food comments, I missed Purslane the first few times I read it.

   3. Purslane is delicious! It’s a succulent and can provide a bit of moisture in the form of food. I am a forager and use purslane raw or cooked in a variety of ways.
      I was so proud when my granddaughter spotted purslane the year after I first showed her purslane. She checked with me, then we ate it raw before gathering a bunch to take to the kitchen. She is a 6th generation forager in the family and she took to foraging like it was in her DNA. lol
      In the right climate it can be perennial, but not for us at our Zone. It’s amazing to see purslane pop up just about anywhere — and yes, cracks of sidewalks! The seeds are easy to gather and there are also seeds of one variety available at a few seed companies.

7. 800 lbs of beans?
   No, 600 rolls is not enough.

   1. Anony Mee;
      Excellent mathematical skills my friend…. HAHAHAH
      Thinking that at least one roll per pound would be closer??????

      1. NRPp
         You could use the overflow beans for barter!
         I keep wondering exactly what SHTF will REALLY look like.

         1. NRP
            You are right that we do not know what a SHTF event would be like, but we do see what slowly sinking into the quagmire of socialism and globalism looks like.

            Each compromise with the “community” (pick one) infringes more and more on our freedoms. Now, being a white, God fearing man is considered racist. Now, honoring our flag and giving the Pledge is considered racist somehow. Now, illegals have more rights than Veterans – who are now committing suicide at a rate of around 10 or so a day (I believe I heard that number). The list is endless.

            So, is a life of servitude under a socialist dictatorship, like that in Venezuela preferable to civil war? No. Is it time while we still have enough patriots to get this country back on track? 2020 will be the deciding point for America as we once lived it.

            Don’t see the slime slowly engulfing the country from the crap hole areas yet?

         2. Well NRP
            I be one o them foolz cuz,,,,
            You see any other way out?
            Honestly, i dont think its not going to happen, this next year.
            Sorry bout that bud, from the ashes and all that rot eh.

         3. Forgot

            BRING IT!

            Snarharhaaarrr

         4. hermit us,

            The very thought of civil war scares the excrement out of me……..and it should scare everyone. But, thinking of the folks down in Venezuela, I’m sure that the middle class down there (yes, they once had a middle class) look back, wishing they had stood up to the socialists in the beginning. Like us, I’m sure, they gave change a chance. While they stood by, they lost the right to own firearms, watched their personal rights keep dwindling along with their personal wealth. When they finally woke up, it was too late and they no longer had the means to take their country back.

            What will it take to awaken middle America? Have we waited too long? What would be our Ft. Sumter? The election of one of the democratic socialist clowns running for president? Nationwide weapon ban and confiscation? Wide spread attacks on Christians and whites?………..or will we keep on having our rights taken away, ever so slowly, as has been happening over the years, only to wake up some day and ask ” what happened?”

            I don’t know the answer. If I did, I probably shouldn’t post it on the internet.

         5. I don’t really want to see us have a major SHTF in this country either. In fact, I want my kids to have to clean out all my preps when I die and call mom crazy. LOL!

         6. Tommyboy and others.
            I did not say I would not stand.
            I was trying to convay that those whom beleive TEOTWAWKI will just be another day should really consider the outcome first. I for one would also have my beneficiary wonder whet the hell I have 1000 rolls of TP and 1/2 ton of beans for.
            God help us all If/When

         7. NRP,
            I know that and honestly would never question someone else or their decisions.
            We all got our own thoughts on stuff.
            I hold all of yall in the highest regards.
            Hat tip to KJ

8. I’m sure everyone knows this but Red Kidney beans can be toxic. This is what I do.

   Soak overnight – discard water and rinse

   Then Beans must be boiled for at least 10 minutes (I do 30) and then that water should be discarded and beans rinsed again.

   Now it’s time for the final cook, cover rinsed beans with fresh water, season and cook til done.

   Red kidney beans have a toxin than is only destroyed when boiled. So crock-pot cooking could be questionable. I don’t cook red kidney beans in a crock-pot because it doesn’t get hot enough.

   There are lots of articles about this online, so make sure you read for yourself.
   luv ya’ll, Beach’n

   1. Beach’n;
      Good reminder, I’m not a big fan of Kidney Beans, same category as Pinto Beans as far as I’m concerned.
      Wayyyyyy to many “good” beans out there to be eating “filler beans”.
      Like I said in Article, over 40,000 different varieties in the world, explore the world of “Fart Fuel” hehehehehe

      1. NRP,
         By the way, I should’ve thanked you for the article!
         luv ya’ll, Beach’n

   2. Thanks Beach’n for the helpful tip re: red kidney beans. I am enjoying a black bean mixed veggies salad now….yum!

9. I have never heard of a somewhat rare bean called “mortgage lifter, curiosity got me. It appears that mortgage lifter beans are Phaseolus vulgaris. These are the same beans we have grown in the south forever. They are commonly called “green beans”, “half runners”, “snap beans”. Mortgage lifter beans appear to be mature seed from “green beans”. Here the mature seed is called “shelly beans”. If they get too far along for “green beans”, we shell em out of the pod and have “shelly beans”. When used as green beans they are harvested young and eaten pod and all, broken into pieces hence the name “snap beans”.

   1. Well, hell’s bells! I grew up on homegrown, home-canned Half Runners! We have also grown many a row of Half Runners — they are a fine pole bean for our area with meaty beans and tasty green pods. They freeze and can nicely.
      Yes, if the bean pods grow too long and mature, you can still cook them but it’s for those large flavorful beans, not the pods — they get stringy and tough.

      If they are the same as Mortgage Lifter then we’ve had them here. Maybe the Mortgage Lifter is a variant?

   2. After checking online, I can see that Mortgage Lifter beans are not the same as Half Runners at all. I found a site that shows photos and has some info on this bean, including some of the info NRP was sharing about Dove Creek and the mill there. It’s GoodBeansAndGrains — have a search for it.

10. All this talk about beans got my juices flowing. We are having homemade beans tonight . They have been in a crock pot all day. They are a bean that we have been growing for 3 years now and used as a dried bean .They are an heirloom bean that originated in Hungary. They are called a Rockwell Bean and look like a Jacob’s cattle bean.We get them from Willowood Farm on Whidbey Island, Washington .They arrived on the island about 1880 or so. We enjoy them.

11. I have to credit my old Friend Andre with this recipe. Hopefully it’s not too long Ken. I’ve tried it as a starting point and after a few times made some mods. Now anytime I mention Big Boi Beans my wife gives me the stink eye. After making and eating them I give it right back :-)

    Big Boi Beans
    Method: indirect grilling
    Serves: 12 to 16
    • 1 pound smoked brisket or bacon cut into 1/4-inch slivers
    • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans
    • 1 can (15 ounces) dark red kidney beans
    • 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans
    • 1 can (15 ounces) great northern beans
    • 2 cans (each 15 ounces) baked beans or pork and beans
    • 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
    • 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
    • 1 poblano pepper or green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced (for hotter beans, leave the seeds in)
    • 1 bottle sweet red barbecue sauce (your favorite commercial brand)
    • 1-1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar, or more to taste (I use dark brown)
    • 1/2 cup Dijon mustard, or more to taste
    • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
    You’ll also need:
    1 large (turkey-size) or 2 medium-size aluminum foil pans; 2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably pecan or hickory) soaked for 1 hour in hot water to cover, then drained.
    1. If using bacon instead of brisket, place it in a large skillet over medium heat and fry until crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Pour off all the bacon fat, saving a few tablespoons for the beans, if desired.
    2. Empty the cans of black, kidney, northern, and pinto beans into a colander and drain. Rinse the beans under cold running water and drain again. Place all the beans (including the baked beans or pork and beans) in a large nonreactive mixing bowl and add the onion, bell and poblano peppers, garlic, and jalapenos and stir to mix. Add the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, and brisket or fried bacon and stir to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more brown sugar and/or mustard as necessary, and salt and black pepper to taste; the beans should be very flavorful. Transfer the bean mixture to the aluminum foil pan or pans. (If you used bacon, you can drizzle a few tablespoons of bacon fat over the beans for extra flavor.)
    3. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-low. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium-low. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium-low, then toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals.
    4. When ready to cook, place the pan of beans in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat, and cover the grill. Cook the beans until they are thick and richly flavored, about 1 hour. If the beans start to dry out, cover them loosely with aluminum foil. Remove the beans from the grill and let them rest for 15 minutes, then serve.
    Note: If you cook the beans in a gas grill, you probably won’t be able to generate enough smoke for a strong wood flavor. You can add liquid smoke in this case.

    Enjoy!!!

    DT

    1. Oh… This recipe was originally for Canned beans but you can substitute our stored dried beans after a good soaking…..

       DT

       1. DT
          Sounds like a great recipe. So much that I read it twice, and had to eat 2 Rolaids before I copied and pasted it in the digital recipe box.
          Lol.

12. How to cook beans? Do you soak them in salt water or cook them in it. And what about using baking soda to soak them in to soften them and reduce the trouser trumpet serenade?

    “Musical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot, so let’s have beans for meal today.”

    I think that the more you eat beans the more your system adapts and less emissions results.

    NRP, great topic.

    1. – Chevy,
       Do not soak them in SALT water; wash them first, then soak the beans in plain water. After soaking them, dump the water and rinse them again. When we cook them at Smurf House, we add one of the small cans (100 calorie) of Coke (R) for a crock-pot or dutch oven full of beans.
       You can use the baking soda; be prepared for the beans to be a little saltier and less tender due to the sodium in it. wait until just before serving to add salt, the beans will be much more tender and the gas will be greatly reduced.
       Look up Bean Hole recipes for dutch oven beans; basically dig a hole about twice the depth of your dutch oven (legs or not; for this recipe it doesn’t matter), fill with burning wood. When you have coals, the total amount should be about 1/2 full. Scoop about half out to the side, add your prepared oven with its lid, and cover (all around) with coals, then cover the whole mess with dry-as-possible dirt. Leave it for 6-8 hours, just like a crock pot. When you are ready to eat, dig it up and enjoy.
       – Papa S.

       1. – Should have said, twice as deep and twice as wide; This is one of the few ways you can use a regular oven-type cast iron dutch oven outdoors without any major problems. If you have to use a regular oven-type oven any other way, make yourself a ring of foil the diameter of the pot and set it on top of the lid to hold the correct number of coals Even three rocks will make-do for the legs under the pot. Good luck with outdoor cooking.
          – Papa

       2. – After re-reading the note above, I don’t think I was clear. We use the can of Coke to de-gas the beans. That way the beans are more tender and less gassy. The only way we use the baking soda is if we happen to be out of Coke; the beans are not as tender and the baking soda is saltier than with the Coke.
          – Papa

13. Thanks for the recipes and hints NRP.

    Response to Old Chevy: I soak my beans overnight in plain, cold water and remove the ones that float the following day before I apply heat. I have never had much luck with beans cooked and recooked without benefit of soaking prior to the cooking process.

    The older the beans, the increase in the number of beans that float after 7-8 hrs of soaking. So…if my beans are over 1 year old from my date-of-purchase, I add a bit more than recipe calls for to account for the floaters which I remove prior to turning on the heat and adding more/other stuff.

    To NRP’s recipe- it is a good basic starting point and you can get creative from his basic recipes.

    The Portuguese Bean Soup I mentioned in another post is my go-to recipe for kale. I do not care for kale normally so…if I find a recipe that makes kale tolerable, I am interested. This time of year, excess kale is almost a door prize that is given to households that throw a party or banquet in my neighborhood.

    Beans and spicy sausage make many items out there palatable.

14. Taco Soup;
    1 pound Hamburger
    1 LARGE Onion chopped
    2 cans Stewed Tomatoes, I like Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
    1 can Corn, drained
    1 can Black Beans
    1 can Pinto Beans
    1 can Kidney Beans
    1 can Chopped Green Chili
    1 pkg. Taco Mix
    1 pkg. Ranch Dressing Mix
    2 cups Water

    Brown Hamburger and Onions
    Add Taco Mix, Ranch Mix, Tomatoes
    Simmer for 20 minutes
    Add remaining un-drained stuff and water, I drain the Corn.
    Salt/Pepper to taste
    Cook for a bit and pig-out with some Homemade Torts.
    Freezes well.

15. Just a note…

    Do not cook the beans in the same water you soaked them in. Rinse the soaked beans to make sure none of the soaking water remains, then cook. You will note a difference in the texture of the cooked bean.

16. I like beans.

17. Can you can pinto beans and navy beans together?

    1. Janet,
       I dont see why not, we have done home made baked beans that has 3 different beans in it then canned it and so far havent had problems

    2. Janet, yes. I have pressure canned chili with 4 different beans with no problem.

18. Janet,
    i’m not the authority on this, but i have canned both separately and never had a problem. i don’t see why you couldn’t do both of them together. it sounds good.

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