How to grow black beans on your site and properly prepare the resulting crop - the best recipes

There are more than eighty varieties of beans - among them there are both those that can be used for culinary purposes, and those that perform an exclusively decorative function. Black beans are in high demand in the world, which are both tasty and healthy.

In Russia, it appeared relatively recently and its unique properties are little known to a wide range of people. What makes black beans different from other varieties? What can you cook with it and how to do it right? We will answer these and other questions in our article.

Composition and useful properties of black beans

Black beans are superior to their counterparts in protein and coarse fiber. The proteins of these beans contain almost two dozen amino acids, thanks to which they are easier for the body to absorb.

Fiber normalizes the digestive system and supports the intestinal microflora, helps to lower cholesterol levels and prevent the development of coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, and also makes you feel fuller longer.

The high content of complex carbohydrates in these beans makes them suitable for use in type 2 diabetes.

The exceptional content of molybdenum, which is involved in many metabolic processes, makes this variety unique. Folic acid, manganese and magnesium support the cardiovascular system. B vitamins have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, stabilizing the emotional background.

Anthocyanins, responsible for the black color of the peel, strengthen blood vessels and reduce capillary fragility, promote the production of butyric acid in the intestine, which has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Plant flavonoids have antioxidant, immunostimulating, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects, bind free radicals, leading to premature aging of the body and causing severe heart and vascular diseases.

Read also:

Why are asparagus beans useful?

How to grow beans at home: a step-by-step guide.

How does beans affect the male, female and children's body?

Harm and contraindications for use

A relative minus of black beans is a large amount of oligosaccharides used for the vital activity of the intestinal microflora. The consumption of beans activates the microflora, increasing gas production.

To neutralize this effect, it is recommended to eat legumes more often - fiber removes unfavorable microflora from the intestines.

In countries where legumes have been cultivated for centuries, spices are added to dishes to help the body cope with digestion.

Interesting fact. Avicenna recommended combining them with vinegar and salt. In India and the Middle East, asafoetida is used to stimulate the functions of digestion.

Without exception, all plant species contain lectins, a type of protein that allows them to defend against diseases and pests. Legumes contain phytohemagglutinin, a type of lectin that is dangerous in large quantities.

The highest concentration of this protein (20,000 to 70,000 units) is found in Kidney red beans, their raw or undercooked grains can lead to serious food poisoning.

The amount of phytohemagglutinin in black beans is much lower and no cases of poisoning with this variety have been recorded. However, it is recommended to heat the beans, which reduces the content of this protein by 100 times.

Contraindicated for everyone who has previously experienced allergic reactions to plants from the legume family.

Calorie content and nutritional value

100 g of black beans contains 8.86 g of proteins, 23.71 g of carbohydrates, 0.54 g of fat, 8.70 g of fiber, calories - 132 kcal.

Other beneficial substances worth noting:

How to choose and how to cook black beans?

It is found on sale in dry and canned form throughout the year. Dry is usually sold in packs. When buying, make sure that it is not damaged, and there are no traces of insects, moisture or cracks on the grains.

In cooking, the sweetish taste of black beans with a touch of smoked meat is appreciated, in harmony with vegetables and meat.... These beans work well with spices as they easily absorb the flavors of other ingredients in the dish.

Most popular in Latin America, used in Cajun and Creole recipes in southern Louisiana, as well as in East Indian and Punjabi cuisine, fermented in Asia to make sauce.

These beans take longer to cook than other varieties - from 1.5 to 3 hours.

What to cook with black beans: recipes

So, the most popular black bean recipes.

Bean puree (or a la hummus)

Ingredients:

• 250 g black beans;
• 1/2 tsp asafoetids;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 2 tbsp. l. tahini sesame paste;
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil;
• 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice;
• 1/2 tsp paprika;
• 1 tsp cumin;
• 1 pinch of salt.

Preparation:

1. Soak beans in water overnight. Boil in accordance with the instructions on the package, but not less than 90 minutes. Leave some water in which the beans were boiled.
2. Put the cooked beans and the rest of the ingredients in a blender bowl and chop until smooth. If the mixture is too dry, add some water in which the beans were boiled.
3. Served with tortillas, lavash, pita, onions, tomatoes and bell peppers.

reference... Tahini can be made at home, and asafoetida can be grown on your site.

Black bean soup with bacon, prunes and sherry

Ingredients:

• 1.8 liters of meat broth;
• 400 g dry black beans;
• 150 g lean bacon in one piece;
• 1 large white onion
• 1 large carrot;
• 50 g pitted prunes;
• 2 sprigs of thyme;
• salt, freshly ground black pepper;
• 200g thin slices of bacon, dry sherry and lemon zest for serving.

Preparation:

1. Soak the beans overnight. Rinse the grains, bring to a boil in a saucepan with water and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, drain and discard in a colander.
2. Dice the bacon, onions and carrots into small cubes and place in a large ovenproof saucepan with the beans, prunes and thyme.
3. Pour over broth, put on medium heat and bring to a boil. Close the lid and put in an oven preheated to 150 degrees for 4 hours.
4. Meanwhile, fry the bacon slices over high heat until crisp, transferring the slices to paper towels to drain off excess fat.
5. Season the prepared soup with salt, pepper and puree with a blender.
6. Pour 1 tsp into the plates. sherry, pour the soup, sprinkle with zest and add the fried bacon. Can be served on the table.

reference... Sherry can be replaced with fortified dry white wine.

Chicken soup with barley, corn and beans

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken legs;
• 1 glass of pearl barley;
• 800 g of canned chopped tomatoes;
• 1 can (400 g) canned black beans
• 1.5 cups frozen corn
• 1 medium onion;
• 2 tsp ground cumin;
• 1 tsp chili powder;
• 1 tsp dried oregano.

For filing:

• cheddar cheese;
• sour cream;
• 8 green onion feathers.

Preparation:

1. Soak pearl barley in cold water for 4–6 hours, rinse and drain in a colander.
2. Pour barley into a saucepan, add chicken legs, pour 1.5 liters of water and put on fire. Bring to a boil, remove foam, add chopped tomatoes and oregano, reduce heat and cook for 40 minutes.
3. Finely chop the onion, cook with olive oil until transparent, add cumin and chili, continue stirring for another 30 seconds.
4. When the barley is ready, remove the chicken from the soup, separate the meat from the bones and cut into small pieces. Put the beans in a colander and rinse with cold water, add to the soup along with the corn and continue to cook for 7-10 minutes. Return chicken to soup and stir.
5. Pour soup into bowls, add sour cream and grated cheddar. Sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately.

Black bean soup with buckwheat

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. l. olive oil;
• 330 g cooked or canned, water-washed black beans;
• 100 g of onions;
• 60 g of red capsicum;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• ¼ glasses of buckwheat;
• 1 tsp ground chili;
• 2 cups vegetable broth;
• 250 g carrots;
• 1 bay leaf;
• 220 g frozen corn;
• 2 tbsp. l. lemon juice;
• salt to taste;
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• greens to taste.

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, simmer finely chopped onions and peppers for 5 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add finely chopped garlic, buckwheat, chili and simmer for another 3 minutes.
3. Pour in broth, add beans, grated carrots, corn and bay leaves.
4. Add 2 cups of water, pepper and salt, cover, bring to a boil and cook until buckwheat is cooked (about 20 minutes).
5. In the last 3-5 minutes of cooking, add herbs and lemon juice.
6. Serve when ready.

Chicken wings in black bean sauce

Ingredients:

• 500 g chicken wings;
• 1 tbsp. l. white wine vinegar;
• 2 stalks of green onions;
• 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce;
• 2 tsp vegetable oil.

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp. l. rice wine or dry sherry;
• 2 cm fresh ginger root;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 1 tbsp. l. brown sugar;
• 2 tsp sesame oil;
• 50 ml chicken broth;
• 2 tbsp. l. soy sauce;
• 100 g black beans;
• 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil.

Preparation:

1. Soak beans in water overnight. Rinse and boil in plenty of fresh water for 2.5 hours.
2. Cut the wings in half. Mix the soy sauce and vinegar in a bowl.
3. Put the wings in the marinade, mix thoroughly and leave at room temperature for 1 hour.
4. Discard the beans in a colander, chop in mashed potatoes.
5. Peel and chop the garlic and ginger root, cook for 1 minute with preheated 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil.
6. Add beans, broth, wine, soy sauce and sugar, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, pour in sesame oil.
7. Wash the green onions, dry and cut into 4 cm pieces. Heat oil in a large frying pan, fry the wings over high heat for 5 minutes. Add green onions and cook for another 1 minute.
8. Pour in 4-5 tbsp. l. sauce, stir. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Shell pasta stuffed with black beans and spinach

Ingredients:

• 200 g large shell pasta;
• 1.5 cups of cooked black beans or 1 can of canned, rinsed water;
• 250-300 g chopped spinach, fresh or frozen (defrost beforehand);
• 150 g finely chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned;
• 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp olive oil;
• 1–1 ¼ cups lightly salted tomato sauce for spaghetti;
• 4 tbsp. l.or to the taste of mozzarella cheese or other white, easily melting cheese.

Preparation:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over the lowest heat and simmer the garlic for 5 minutes, add the tomatoes, season with salt and simmer for another 15 minutes.
2. Chop the beans in mashed potatoes. Add spinach and beans to tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Cook seashells according to the instructions.
4. Heat the oven to 175 degrees.
5. Brush the bottom of the baking dish evenly with the spaghetti sauce, retaining ана cup.
6. Fill the shells with the vegetable mixture and place in a baking dish.
7. Drizzle with the remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
8. Bake for 15–20 minutes until the cheese is lightly golden.

The benefits of black beans in cosmetology

Beans are used to make masks. The high amount of antioxidants helps the skin retain moisture, improving its elasticity.

Thanks to its antibacterial properties, the mask cleanses the skin and also nourishes thanks to vitamins and minerals.

To prepare a mask at home, grind 1 cup of cooked beans with a blender, combine the resulting gruel with olive oil and lemon juice and apply it to the face.

After a quarter of an hour, rinse with warm water, wipe your face with tonic.

Use in traditional medicine

In the treatises of ancient China, it was indicated that the peel of the beans drives urine and bile, regulates metabolism, relieves hypoacidity, and treats inflammatory liver diseases.

Avicenna believed that beans are good for the chest and lungs. For centuries, bean flour has been used to treat bedsores in the elderly and diaper rash in children, eczema and burns. Bean leaves are used as a diuretic in decoctions, for the treatment of nephritis, diabetes, pancreatitis.

It is noticed that the inclusion of beans in the diet at least once a week helps to avoid the formation of liver, kidney, fecal and dental calculi.

Planting beans and preparing for it

Preto belongs to the species Common beans (Phaseoluos vulgaris). Before planting, grains must be soaked for 2-3 hours in warm water.

Planted with grains or seedlings - depending on how soon the seedlings are needed. The seedling method is used in cool climates for subsequent planting in closed ground. In a warm place, the grains in the soil will germinate faster and take root better.

For seedlings, containers with a peat-humus mixture are prepared, holes 3-4 cm deep are made and grains are placed in them. The pots are placed in a lighted place with a temperature of 20-23 degrees. After 15-20 days, the seedlings are ready for planting, they are transplanted into open ground in the phase of 2-3 leaves.

They are planted in a place protected from the wind. When it gets cold, early shoots are covered with non-woven material. Mature plants can withstand short-term light frosts. The sprouts are spud up when they reach 15 cm in height, and the tops are tied up so that they do not cling to neighboring plants.

The beans are not planted in the same place earlier than after 4 years. For planting, choose a neutral, loose, fertile, well-drained soil.

2-3 days before planting, the soil is dug up and loosened, the prepared soil is disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

How to grow black beans outdoors

This variety is thermophilic, the optimum temperature for plant growth and development: 20-25 degrees... She needs at least 6 hours of intense sunlight. They are planted in open ground when the threat of spring frosts has passed, at a temperature of 16 degrees that has settled for two weeks.

It is enough to water the beans in a timely manner, periodically weed and loosen them regularly, preventing the formation of a shriveled crust on the surface of the soil, examining for damage by diseases and pests.

Growing beans in a greenhouse

Black beans are mid-season peeling beans that require about three months of warm weather to fully ripen. Planting it in a greenhouse is a good solution for regions with cold climates.

Curly black beans are planted as a seal for tomatoes or peppers at the rate of one bean bush for 3-4 plants of the main crop, with tall tomatoes even less often.

They tie it up, like cucumbers, at a height of 70–80 cm, remove the side shoots, and pinch everything above the first flower. It is important to provide adequate ventilation in the greenhouse, as high humidity can cause gray rot.

Storage rules for black beans

Under industrial conditions, well-dried beans are stored in sealed containers in dark, ventilated rooms for up to 12 months. It is better to distribute beans purchased at different periods of time in separate containers or linen bags, since they may differ in the degree of dryness.

The same principle should be followed when storing your own harvest.

Important... Dishes made from black beans are stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.

Reviews of gardeners

Olga: "They presented me with black beans. Planted, now pods are 9-10 centimeters and what to do with them now, where to use? I will wait until they dry up and then go to the soup like beans. "

Irina: “Vigna will have time to ripen if you can uproot a bush before the cold weather (I grew it on a pole) and put it to ripen in a greenhouse, for example. I have matured. Much depends on the variety, I grew the Preto variety. If you dig in the roots, it won't get any worse. I didn’t add it, the bushes stood there until they dried out. They dried up for a long time. Even after all the foliage had flown off the creeper, the seed pods did not lose their turgor. "

Ekaterina:“After the beans, which braid everything and everyone, this year I decided to plant only bush beans. Only three varieties were found in our market from the peeling plant: Mavka, white (SU, NK Elit, Elitsortnasinnya), Zagadka, white with colored specks (Svityaz), Kalinka nezhenskaya, red (NK Elit). The first two are very small. And the mother-in-law gave some kind of black beans “for diabetics”, let's see what grows out of it))) ”.

Conclusion

Black beans are of growing interest among gardeners. It can be grown almost everywhere, even on the balcony, if provided with sunlight and a comfortable temperature for three months.

All varieties have useful properties, including those with black grains. Which beans to plant: asparagus or shelling, bush or curly - a matter of taste. You definitely won't have to regret: it will delight you with fruits and decorative properties.