Saturday, December 13, 2008

Bean Flour

1 cup dry beans = about 1-1/8 cups flour

Dry beans can be ground to a fine flour using a hand grinder and strong muscles for small quantities or electric mill for larger quantities. A small amount of bean flour added to baked goods increases vitamin and mineral content and contributes towards a complete protein. Bean flour is great to have on hand for making "instant" soups, sauces, dips, gravies, and sandwich fillings, and to add to almost everything you cook or bake. When added to boiling water, bean flours thicken in only 1 minute; cooked 3 minutes they are ready to eat (saves fuel, too). This is the quickest way to cook dried beans. Give it a try.

Baby lima and small white beans have mildest taste. Other favorites are pinto, small red and garbanzo. Some varieties of beans require more liquid than others. You will have to experiment. Store flour on cool, dark shelf in an air-tight container. Best used within 3 months.
(Source: "Food Storage Recipes - Using only the ingredients contained in the One-Month Basic Food Storage Kit", pg. 22)

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