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Bean History

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BEAN HISTORY

 

National Bean Day, was January 6th, a time to celebrate beans in all their sizes, shapes, and colors.  Chili Smith is celebrating beans all the time – and especially in January! Green, red, black, lima, and soy are just a few examples of the types of beans we can salute on this special day. Approximately 40,000 bean varieties exist in the world!
The versatile bean can also be prepared in thousands of different ways—including main dishes, sauces, condiments, and even desserts! National Bean Day is celebrated every year on January 6th in honor of Gregor Mendel (who died on January 6, 1884). Mendel was an Austrian monk who discovered the principles of heredity by studying bean and pea plants in his garden. A pioneer in his field, Mendel is considered to be the father of modern genetics. 
THE HISTORY OF THE BEAN
Humans have been eating beans for a long time. In fact, archaeological evidence suggests that beans have been a staple food across cultures and continents for thousands of years.Studies show that beans were eaten in Thailand over 9000 years ago, and around the same time fava beans were being gathered in Afghanistan in the foothills of the Himalayas. 
Beans were also prominent in ancient Egypt where they were left in the tombs of ancient Egyptian kings as a symbolic way to feed the departed souls in the afterlife. The first cultivated bean (a large-seeded broad bean) appeared 4000 years ago in Europe, and archeologists have also found evidence of the existence of beans in Peru around the same time.
Beans played an important role in the history of the New World too. When colonists arrived in North America, the Native Americans showed them how to grow beans with corn so that the bean plants would grow tall by climbing on the cornstalks.
THE HEALTHFUL BEAN
An extremely healthful choice for a meal or a snack, beans are an important source of protein, fiber, folate, zinc, iron, and magnesium. Antioxidant-rich beans are also low in fat and high in intact carbohydrates. They are a member of the Fab Four—the four categories of foods you should include in your diet daily.
A study in the Journal of American College of Nutrition found that people who consumed beans regularly had a 22 percent lower risk of obesity and were more likely to have a smaller waist than people who did not eat beans.
Aside from promoting heart health, controlling weight and increasing longevity, eating beans may also lower blood cholesterol, reduce inflammation, help prevent cancer, stabilize blood glucose levels and prevent diabetes, and improve gut health.

Pressure Cooker Bean Cooking Times at a Glance

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InstaPot
Beans (1 Cup Dry) Approximate Minutes Under High Pressure
Bean Soaked 4-8 hours Unsoaked Yield in Cups
Aduki 5—9 4—20 2
Anasazi 4—7 20—22 2 1/4
Black (turtle) 9—11 20—25 2
Black-eyed (cow) peas — 9—11 2 1/4
Cannellini 9—12 22—25 2
Chick-peas (garbanzos) 10—12 30—40 2 1/2
Christmas lima 8—10 16—18 1 1/4
Cranberry 9—12 30—35 2 1/4
Fava* 12—18 22—28 2
Flageolets 10—14 17—22 2
Great Northern 8—12 25—30 2 1/4
Lentils — 7—10 2
Lima (large) 4-7 12—16 2
Lima (baby) 5—7 12—15 2 1/2
Peas (split, green) — 8—10 2
Peas (whote, green) — 16—18 2
Pigeon Peas (grandules) 6—9 20—25 3
Pinto 4—6 22—25 2 1/4
Navy (pea) 6—8 16—25 2
Red Kidney 10—12 20—25 2
Scarlet Runner 12—14 17—20 1 1/4
Soybeans (beige) 9—12 28—35 2 1/4
Soybeans (black) 20—22 35—40 2 1/2

One question that always is askeda| Has your chili won any awards at Chili Cook-off Contests?

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Actually, we have never competed in a contest! We think the contests look like a lot of fun to attend and have some fun, but hereas the deala|

We make chili for people to eat! It is cooked longer and rested under refrigeration for the flavors to blend and become better. Competition chili is made for a quick taste by several judges a it is similar to wines a some great wines are wonderful for fragrance and palette tasting a but not necessarily a adrinkera you would serve with a meal.

We make a chili without beans, but we really like what our heritage beans do for the eating experience and we really like the fact that it is good for us to eat that delicious source of protein and fiber. The CASI competition chilias forbid the use of beans. What are they thinking??? Just kidding! We appreciate the Texas and Oklahoma style chili and we make some that are similar.

We like to think the customers we serve are a bit like a competition. In that arena, we do very well because our chilias are loved and reordered by everyone a and especially the children! We do love to sample our products to lots of people a not just judges a to see what they think.

What is the difference between Heritage/Heirloom Beans and aregulara beans?

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Now, before we too harshly or improperly judge aBig business in agriculturea we need to also realize that to feed a hungry world and maintain low consumer costs and deal with a host of regulations, inspections and hundreds of other things, the agricultural industry has done a tremendous job. Seeds are altered to be more disease resistant and require less chemical management and water. The genes are altered in the seed to determine a consistent size for mechanized planting, harvesting and offering a very long shelf life for long storage times. That is why the beans we buy in a grocery store can be acquired for less than $2 a pound. It is an amazingly well orchestrated system and it works pretty well a for distribution.

All-natural products such as our heritage beans are not all exactly the same a plus they do not offer the same high yield per acre as genetically altered beans. They are much more expensive to grow and have a shorter shelf life. They must be distributed and used while fresh a within a year or two maximum.

So a the question is why? Why do we grow them? Then answer is FLAVOR! These are just better beans. Higher nutrition values, better protein levels and much more natural fiber content are just some of the reasons. We love them and you will too.

Beans are one of natureas most healthy organisms for us to eat a they are very good for us. Whether you choose heritage or genetically altered beans a they should be part of your diet on a regular basis. Legumes are powerful little packages of energy! Heritage/heirloom are just that much better for you and again a itas the flavor!

What is the difference between aHeirlooma and aHeritagea beans?

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The terms “heirloom seed” and “heritage seed” are used interchangeably. An heirloom plant is an open-pollinated cultivar that was commonly grown during earlier periods in human history, but which is not used in modern large-scale agriculture.

These beans are not genetically altered and therefore are not as easy to plant, grow, harvest, clean and separate and are best used within two years of harvesting. They do not all look the same – they are not all exactly the same size or color – but, like us, the beauty is really on the inside! The flavor of these beans is just better! Filled with energy and high nutrition and protein these are a great source of vitality and good health. Heritage beans will have up to three times the fiber content of commercially grown beans. this is one of the reasons they were so popular when fresh vegetables and fruits were difficult to obtain. We call them “nature’s broom!”

Don’t worry about the gas factor! We teach you how to properly prepare the beans without the ‘gas-effect’ and still have wonderful rich and satisfiying flavor.

What about the gas???!

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We love this question and actually have an answer for greatly reducing the amusical toot!a

What causes the gas and flocculants is the sugars that seep from the beans during soaking and cooking. The sugars that are now in the cooking water mix with the enzymes in our lower intestines as our bodies try to break down the sugars and Yippee!  We have successfully made our bodies into little refineries!

Here is what we do to help with this:

  1. Rinse the dry beans several times with cool, clean water.
  2. Soak the beans for several hours until fully expanded.
  1. Stir these beans
  2. Drain the water off
  3. Cover the beans again with cool, clean water, we add salt and onion, bring to boil
  4. Reduce and allow simmering for forty minutes or an hour a until softened.
  5. Turn off the heat and allow beans to rest in the water for ten or fifteen minutes.
  6. Drain the water off and cool the beans with cool, clean water to stop the cooling process.
  7. After thoroughly cool, drain off water and beans are ready to use.

Some thinking is that we are draining off the flavor and nutrients, to say nothing of the amount of fresh water this all requires. This is a good and valid point. We use good quality bases or stock to our soups and chili products, which creates a wonderful flavor without excessive gas.

We are told that continual and regular consumption of beans will allow our bodies to adjust and better handle the sugars a but this is also a different dietary concern a in our slim and trim society. Have you ever noticed how happy and healthy natives to Mexico and other high bean consumption areas are? Itas the beans!

We donat know about over the counter products claiming to reduce gas a IE, Beano and others. Maybe some of you can help us with other ideas to keep the amusical fruita under control.