How to grow black beans on your own plot and properly prepare the resulting harvest - 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 a purely decorative function. Black beans, which are both tasty and healthy, are in high demand around the world.

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

Composition and beneficial properties of black beans

Black beans are superior to their counterparts in the amount of protein and coarse fiber. The proteins of these beans contain almost two dozen amino acids, making them easier to digest by the body.

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

The high content of complex carbohydrates in this bean makes it a product suitable for use with 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 intestines, 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 diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

Read also:

What are the benefits of green beans?

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

How beans affect the male, female and children's bodies.

Harm and contraindications for use

A relative disadvantage of black beans is the large amount of oligosaccharides used by the intestinal microflora for vital functions. Eating beans activates microflora, increasing gas formation.

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

In countries where the culture of cooking legumes dates back 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 digestive functions.

Without exception, all plant species contain lectins, a type of protein that allows them to protect themselves from 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 red Kidney beans; 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 anyone who has previously experienced allergic reactions to plants from the legume family.

Calories and nutritional value

100 g of black beans contains 8.86 g of protein, 23.71 g of carbohydrates, 0.54 g of fat, 8.70 g of fiber, and calorie content - 132 kcal.

Other useful substances worth noting:

How to choose and how to cook black beans?

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

In cooking, the sweetish taste of black beans with a hint of smokedness, in harmony with vegetables and meat, is appreciated. These beans pair 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 East Indian and Punjabi cuisine, fermented to make sauce in Asia.

These beans are cooked longer than other varieties - from 1.5 to 3 hours.

What to cook with black beans: recipes

So, the most popular recipes with black beans.

Bean puree (or a la hummus)

Ingredients:

• 250 g black beans;
• 1/2 tsp. asafoetida;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 2 tbsp. l. sesame tahini 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 the beans in water overnight. Boil according to the instructions on the package, but not less than 90 minutes. Leave some of the water in which the beans were cooked.
2. Place the cooked beans and remaining ingredients in a blender bowl and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too dry, add a little water in which the beans were cooked.
3. Served with flatbread, pita bread, pita bread combined with onions, tomatoes and sweet peppers.

Reference. Tahini can be made at home, and asafoetida can be grown in your own garden.

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 to serve.

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 the water and drain in a colander.
2. Chop the bacon, onion and carrots into small cubes and place in a large heatproof saucepan along with the beans, prunes and thyme.
3. Pour in the broth, place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Close the lid and place in an oven preheated to 150 degrees for 4 hours.
4. Meanwhile, fry bacon slices over high heat until crisp, transferring cooked bacon to paper towels to drain excess fat.
5. Season the finished soup with salt, pepper and puree in a blender.
6. Pour 1 tsp into plates. sherry, pour the soup, sprinkle with zest and add fried bacon. Can be served.

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

Chicken soup with barley, corn and beans

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken legs;
• 1 cup pearl barley;
• 800 g canned crushed 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.

To submit:

• cheddar cheese;
• sour cream;
• 8 green onions.

Preparation:

1. Soak pearl barley in cold water for 4–6 hours, rinse and drain in a colander.
2. Pour pearl barley into the pan, add chicken legs, pour in 1.5 liters of water and put on fire. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, add chopped tomatoes and oregano, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
3. Finely chop the onion, cook with olive oil until translucent, add cumin and chili, continue stirring for another 30 seconds.
4. When the pearl barley is ready, remove the chicken from the soup, separate the meat from the bones and cut into small pieces. Drain the beans in a colander and rinse with cold water, add to the soup along with the corn and continue cooking for 7-10 minutes. Return chicken to soup and stir.
5. Ladle 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 black beans, rinsed with water;
• 100 g onions;
• 60 g red capsicum;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• ¼ cup buckwheat;
• 1 tsp. ground chili pepper;
• 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 the oil in a saucepan with a thick bottom, simmer finely chopped onions and peppers for 5 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add finely chopped garlic, buckwheat, chili pepper and simmer for another 3 minutes.
3. Pour in the broth, add beans, grated carrots, corn and bay leaf.
4. Add 2 cups of water, pepper and salt, cover with a lid, bring to a boil and cook until the buckwheat is ready (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 the beans in water overnight. Rinse and boil in plenty of fresh water for 2.5 hours.
2. Cut the wings in half. Mix soy sauce and vinegar in a bowl.
3. Place the wings in the marinade, mix thoroughly and leave at room temperature for 1 hour.
4. Place the beans in a colander and puree.
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, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, pour in sesame oil.
7. Wash the green onions, dry them and cut them into pieces 4 cm long. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, fry the wings over high heat for 5 minutes. Add green onions and cook for 1 more minute.
8. Pour in 4-5 tbsp. l. sauce, stir.Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pasta Shells stuffed with black beans and spinach

Ingredients:

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

Preparation:

1. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over low heat and fry the garlic for 5 minutes, add the tomatoes, add salt and simmer for another 15 minutes.
2. Grind the beans into a puree. Add spinach and beans to tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Cook shells according to instructions.
4. Heat the oven to 175 degrees.
5. Spread the bottom of a casserole dish evenly with spaghetti sauce, reserving ¼ cup.
6. Stuff the shells with the vegetable mixture and place them in a baking dish.
7. Drizzle with remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is lightly golden brown.

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 it with vitamins and minerals.

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

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

Use in folk medicine

The treatises of Ancient China indicated that bean peel drives urine and bile, regulates metabolism, relieves low acidity, and treats inflammatory liver diseases.

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

It has been noticed that including beans in the diet at least once a week helps to avoid the formation of liver, kidney, fecal and dental stones.

Planting beans and preparing for them

Preto belongs to the common bean species (Phaseoluos vulgaris). Be sure to soak the grains for 2-3 hours in warm water before planting.

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

For seedlings, prepare containers with a peat-humus mixture, make holes 3-4 cm deep and place the grains 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 at the 2-3 leaf stage.

Plant 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 hilled up when they reach 15 cm in height, and the tops are tied up so that they do not cling to neighboring plants.

Beans are not planted in their original place earlier than after 4 years.For planting, choose 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 optimal 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, when the temperature has been stable for two weeks at 16 degrees.

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

Growing beans in a greenhouse

Black beans are a shelled, mid-season variety 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.

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

They are tied like cucumbers at a height of 70–80 cm, the side shoots are removed, and everything higher is pinched above the first flower. It is important to ensure sufficient ventilation in the greenhouse, as high humidity can cause gray rot.

Rules for storing black beans

In industrial conditions, well-dried beans are stored in airtight containers in dark, ventilated areas for up to 12 months.It is better to distribute beans purchased at different periods of time into separate containers or linen bags, as they may vary in the degree of dryness.

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

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

Reviews from gardeners

Olga: "They presented me with black beans. I planted it, now the pods are 9-10 centimeters long, what should I do with them now, where should I use them? I’ll wait until they dry out and then put them into soup like beans.”

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

Catherine: “After beans, which cover everything and everyone, this year I decided to plant only bush beans. Of the peeling varieties, only three varieties were found on our market: “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 was given some black beans “for diabetics”, we’ll see what grows out of it))).”

Conclusion

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

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