http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x74621Oh my.
TreasonousBastard (1000+ posts) Tue Feb-02-10 05:33 AM
AN OBSCURE UNTERPRIMITIVEN
Original message
Who can help me with beans...
It looks like I'll need to make a huge pot of beans for about 60 or so homeless this Friday.
Sooo... how much beans is that?
A small can of Campbells should be two portions and is 80 cents a pound. Larger house brand cans are 70 cents or so a pound. That's easy to work out, and has the advantage of doing them at the last minute and using fewer cans if not so many people show up.
BUT a bag of dried beans costs around $1.50 a pound. I am assuming they are somewhat cheaper since the liquid in the cans is most of the weight but I have no idea how to work out how much dry beans to equal the canned bean weight after cooking.
Anybody know how to figure this out?
(I'm thinking of just getting a bunch of cans-- taking the easy way out.)
Yeah, yeah, we know.
The homeless don't deserve anything from the primitives other than cheap canned goods.
Such compassionate, caring people, the primitives.
DrDan (1000+ posts) Tue Feb-02-10 07:19 AM
Response to Original message
1. a pound of dried beans is equivalant to 6 cups of cooked beans. So that route will end up costing $.25 a cup (plus salt and whatever else you will use in cooking them)
So it looks to me like the dried beans will cost 1/3 less or so.
TreasonousBastard (1000+ posts) Tue Feb-02-10 04:25 PM
AN OBSCURE {i]UNTERPRIMITIVEN[/i][/color]
Response to Reply #1
4. thanks. After I posted, I found a site that said...
a pound of beans was 4-5 cups, but that doesn't seem like such a big difference.
It's not just the cost, there's the work involved and we never know until the last minute how many are actually going to show up.
Be honest.
It's the cost.
Primitives are cheap bastards.
grasswire (1000+ posts) Tue Feb-02-10 10:41 AM
THE FARMERETTE FROM WISCONSIN
Response to Original message
2. have you made beans before?
Just want to make sure that you know about the soaking and whatever else is involved in the recipe you are using.
TreasonousBastard (1000+ posts) Tue Feb-02-10 04:27 PM
AN OBSCURE UNTERPRIMITIVEN
Response to Reply #2
5. Oh, yeah-- just not recently. Dried beans means starting on Thursday...
while I could open the cans an hour before dinner starts.
No use for a primitive wasting much time on the homeless.
supernova (1000+ posts) Tue Feb-02-10 10:53 AM
Response to Original message
3. I second dried beans
If you're making servings for 60 people, that's about 10 1-pound bags of beans. I'd get an even 12 bags for extra servings. The bags are cheap, Only about $1 or 1.50/bag. Don't get all the same kind, mix and match. But, black beans will turn everything black, or at least dark purple.
Alternatively, consider any store that has a bulk buying option.
You have to soak them preferably overnight, but a quick boil and a 2 hour sit are good as well.
edit: Throw out soaking water and use fresh water for cooking and seasoning. Most think it helps with all the GI surprises later.
Lentils are the most complete protein in the bean world. They only lack two amino acids compared to meat. Other beans are best served with an accompaniment, usually rice to get a more complete nutrition.
TreasonousBastard (1000+ posts) Tue Feb-02-10 04:33 PM
AN OBSCURE UNTERPRIMITIVEN
Response to Reply #3
6. Last time I made them, I changed the soaking water once or twice...and that seemed to reduce the "Blazing Saddles" syndrome. Never did have good luck with the quick boil and steep method, though.
And it would be great if there was a place with a bulk option around here in "farm country" so I could grab a 20 or so pound bag There might be one 60 miles down the road at one of the malls, but the best we have here is a BJ's, which has no dried beans at all. It's the supermarkets for most stuff.
surrealAmerican (1000+ posts) Tue Feb-02-10 09:02 PM
Response to Reply #3
10. The other nice thing about lentils ...
... is they don't need any soaking and will cook in less than an hour.
Split peas (of either color) need no soaking too, but they take a bit longer to cook.
Tesha (1000+ posts) Tue Feb-02-10 04:36 PM
Response to Original message
7. Solomon would suggest...
make enough of the dried during the week to serve the fewest you think might attend.
(making ahead is easier and I think the beans gets better with time)
then buy enough back up canned to cover the most that could attend.
if you don't need all the cans take them back... win-win!
TreasonousBastard (1000+ posts) Tue Feb-02-10 05:06 PM
AN OBSCURE UNTERPRIMITIVEN
Response to Reply #7
8. That is probably the plan. The main advantage to the cans...
is not really the work involved, or the cost, but that I can save the cans for next month's dinner, or donate them to another group. I have found cans on sale and stocked up a bunch. Dried beans are never on sale around here.
It's not so easy to find a place for gallons of cooked beans.
hippywife (1000+ posts) Tue Feb-02-10 06:33 PM
MRS. ALFRED PACKER
Response to Original message
9. Dried are more economical.
I usually buy the 15 bean mix and pitch the "ham flavoring" packet. I don't soak or pre-boil at all. I stick them in my crock pot with twice the amount of water to cover. When most of that water is absorbed, I add more water and then add my seasonings. Whatever you want to flavor them...I throw in bay leaf, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, celery seed, garlic, a little red pepper flake, a few T. of molasses, and some brown sugar.
I have a 5-qt. crock pot and if you only have one, you might be able to borrow someone elses. Or even better, if you or anyone you know has one of those big counter top roasters, it would be great, even for transporting.
Does the place you are serving at have chafing dishes and a steam table. Some places who feed the homeless do. If so, cook them and transport them in large containers to be rewarmed in their equipment.
Most important of all, take the time to make them taste good. They may be homeless but they are people deserving of a delicious meal. It's wonderful that you are willing to serve, but I would suggest putting that best foot all the way forward. It makes a difference when so many people act like they should be happy just to get anything at all.
This reminds me of that primitive who had a goose or a duck roasting in the oven, and was preparing all sorts of other good chow, when a homeless person knocked on his door, and the primitive gave him a peanut-butter sandwich and a glass of water.
The primitives have no class.
