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  1. #1

    Default Any advice? Preparing dried beans with little fuel...

    I want to bring different varieties of dried (not cook and then dehydrated at home, then reconstituted on the trail; but rather dried after harvest) and prepare them as-needed for a thru-hike. I'm thinking everything from tiny lintels to large fava beans.
    Does anyone know a good way to prepare them using the LEAST amount of fuel?
    I'm thinking it would be something like soak them in plain water for a few hours, then boil them for a minute or two, remove from heat, then soak them in the hot water for a few hours, re-heat, then eat? Or something like that?
    I just want to conserve my fuel AND not scavenge firewood, cones, etc. for cooking.
    I've googled this to no avail. Any advice would be MUCH appreciated!

    Thanks,
    "Beans"

  2. #2

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    Don't bother; you won't have the time or energy. If eating beans is your thing, order from Harmony House; they do the work for you. All you have to do is soak them for a little while when you get to camp, and cook them for maybe 2 minutes. Another alternative would to cook your beans at home and then dehydrate them. Never tried, but I guess that would work. I used Harmony House in 2016 and was very pleased.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Poppa Yeti View Post
    I want to bring different varieties of dried (not cook and then dehydrated at home, then reconstituted on the trail; but rather dried after harvest) and prepare them as-needed for a thru-hike. I'm thinking everything from tiny lintels to large fava beans.
    Does anyone know a good way to prepare them using the LEAST amount of fuel?
    I'm thinking it would be something like soak them in plain water for a few hours, then boil them for a minute or two, remove from heat, then soak them in the hot water for a few hours, re-heat, then eat? Or something like that?
    I just want to conserve my fuel AND not scavenge firewood, cones, etc. for cooking.
    I've googled this to no avail. Any advice would be MUCH appreciated!

    Thanks,
    "Beans"
    It is probably possible, but it is going to require some extra planning on your part. You will need to carry an extra water bottle to soak your beans in, and you will need to let them soak between 4 and 12 hours, depending on bean type, while you hike. Some beans once re-hydrated will cook "fast" (e.g., red lentils, about 15 minutes), whereas others will cook slowly and should probably be left out of your meal planning (e.g, chickpeas, about 3 hours).

    As Captain mentioned above, you will probably have better luck cooking with already cooked and dehydrated beans on your trip. 15 minutes of cook time is too long on a camp stove -- you don't want to deal with all of that extra fuel, and you certainly don't want to wait that long after a full day of hiking!

  4. #4

    Default

    Well, you'll have to experiment at home. I would think the longer the soak, the quicker the cook. Starting to soak the nexts day meal as soon as you empty the soak container would give you nearly 24 hours of soak time, but you might be able to drain the continer in the morning and not carry that extra water.

    You best know how to make this mush palitable too
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  5. #5

    Default

    Always figured this to be a gag gift, but it might work...

    https://www.gossamergear.com/products/the-crotch-pot


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

  6. #6
    Some days, it's not worth chewing through the restraints.
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    Default

    The beans you're soaking are going to be as heavy as a can of beans - I'd get real tired of hauling that around, might as well buy a can of beans and be done with it. Plus if you ever manage to not get the lid screwed on right, you have a mess in your pack.

    Seriously, Harmony House has a great variety of pre-cooked dehydrated beans that reconstitute quickly. I throw a handful of red beans in my mashed potatoes and they're ready to eat right away.

    Lots of other folks use dehydrated refried beans and love 'em.

    You also mentioned not wanting to scavenge for fuel - are you planning on cooking fires, or carrying a wood-burning stove?

  7. #7

    Default

    If this is for a thru hike you may not have the time, patience, energy etc.

    If for weekend/short term hiking you can find something in a capacity that works for you.

    That carry weight, tho.

  8. #8

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Captain Panda View Post
    Don't bother; you won't have the time or energy. If eating beans is your thing, order from Harmony House; they do the work for you. All you have to do is soak them for a little while when you get to camp, and cook them for maybe 2 minutes. Another alternative would to cook your beans at home and then dehydrate them. Never tried, but I guess that would work. I used Harmony House in 2016 and was very pleased.
    I would like to second these comments.I am thinking about giving up my stove and pot altogether at some point because most of the time it's just too much effort required at day's end to deal with even boiling water.Not so in the mornings though.I always have the energy for hot coffee in the a.m. with grits,oatmeal,or something sweet.

    I like beans as much as the next person but all mine come from Packit Gourmet or Santa Fe Refried beans which I have found to be great;especially if you have a little hot sauce of some sort or cheese and/or Fritos to go with them.HYOH but a bottle of cold soaking wet beans might get to be more than you want to deal with at some point but it's your choice always.

  9. #9
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Santa Fe Refried Beans cook as fast as freeze dried meals. Cheap too.
    On the other hand, dried red kidney beans at my house require overnight soaking followed by 3-4 hours of simmering on the stove. The finished product is well worth the wait. Not for backpacking.
    Good luck!
    Wayne

  10. #10
    Garlic
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    Default

    I'm a bean snob, too. I hate canned/processed beans. But that's at home. The trail's different.

  11. #11

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    So,staying on topic here,I guess I am doing my trail beans with about one ounce of alcohol or 10 g's of isobutane,depending on fuel source because I go with freeze dried or dehydrated in the woods.

    But at home I use Some Recipe which goes-add some bacon to a pan and fry it down,throw in some chopped onions,add some canned Stewed Tomatoes(with spices in the juice etc),add a can of some seasoned beans(I like black beans),simmer it until all the juices from the canned goods cook off and let the concoction thicken to your liking.Serve it on a tortilla with a dash of salt/pepper,shredded cheese,sour cream.Don't forget a dash of hot sauce...or chopped hot peppers.....

    It takes a while to simmer all that down so it would be prohibitive fuel wise on trail.

  12. #12

    Default

    So, the answer is no. Dried beans are an energy intensive food to make edible/palatable. The energy has to be expended beforehand, in the process of cooking, then dehydrating, if you want to take them on the trail. Canned beans are a heavy alternative as well. There's no life hack to get around the science of it.

  13. #13
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    it can be toxic to eat beans boiled less than a 10 min minimum. use precooked whole dried beans on trail.

  14. #14
    Registered User One Half's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by garlic08 View Post
    I'm a bean snob, too. I hate canned/processed beans. But that's at home. The trail's different.
    I'm generally a food snob myself (in some ways) which is why I bought a freeze dryer. I would cook my beans at home and freeze dry them (or dehydrate if that's your only option) to have on the trail. YMMV
    https://tinyurl.com/MyFDresults

    A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White

  15. #15
    Registered User One Half's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Puddlefish View Post
    So, the answer is no. Dried beans are an energy intensive food to make edible/palatable. The energy has to be expended beforehand, in the process of cooking, then dehydrating, if you want to take them on the trail. Canned beans are a heavy alternative as well. There's no life hack to get around the science of it.
    of course, in town, one would be able to buy a can to eat and maybe a can or 2 to carry if they wanted to pay the "weight penalty." I don't eat beans often myself so I think if I had a hankering for some I would either eat them in town or carry a can once in a while (some come with those pop tops).
    https://tinyurl.com/MyFDresults

    A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White

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