Beans, Beans, Beans -- Frijoles de Olla
A pot of homemade beans not only tastes better than canned beans, but they can also be stored in the freezer for months at a time.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time2 hours hrs
Total Time2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Servings: 12 (6 cups)
Calories: 120kcal
Author: Patrick Calhoun | Mexican Please
- 2 cups dried beans
- 1 small onion
- 2-3 tablespoons lard (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- 2-3 quarts water
Sort through the beans and discard any rocks or shriveled beans. Rinse the beans and drain well.
Add beans to a pot and cover with 2-3 quarts of water, or so the water level is 2" above the beans. Add the roughly chopped onion and 2-3 tablespoons of lard.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and partially cover. Let simmer for 1.5-2 hours.
Ensure that the water level is well above the beans by adding more water if you need to.
Start tasting them after 1 1/2 hours. If they are hard or grainy they need a little more time.
Once they are close add 1 teaspoon of salt and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Salt to taste and add more if necessary. (I probably used a heaping 2 teaspoons total for this batch.)
If you want, portion into 1 cup sized bags (or jars). Include plenty of the broth in the portion bags. They will keep in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for months at a time.
Beans are hyper-sensitive to salt amount so be sure to do lots of taste testing towards the end of the simmer -- I used a heaping 2 teaspoons of salt total for this batch.
Calories: 120kcal