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Dried beans question.

3K views 32 replies 15 participants last post by  huntinghawk 
#1 ·
Up to now, I've had an amazingly hard time buying dried beans in bulk. Until today when I stumbled into a little urban Indian grocery store that doesn't look like much, everyone wanted to sell small quantities of beans at a high markup price, but this place can get 55 lb bags of blackeyed beans for $71/bag. What I want is to know if this is an acceptable price to those who buy elsewhere, or if I'm still being ripped off only more mildly.

A minor issue is that the beans in question are much smaller than I'm used to, sort of the miniature version of what's traditional locally, and I'll have to try them out before buying a lot of them, but I assume a blackeyed bean is a blackeyed bean is a blackeyed bean....
 
#3 ·
No, I'm comparing dried to dried. Actually, I was comparing them to brown eyed beans I already have, just forgot the ones I've been using were brown. This may have been unfair to the Indian beans.

EDIT: found this http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/black_eyed_bean This is them.

Also, further searching, it seem these blackeyed beans are really peas? Too much information!
 
#4 ·
Given the fact that everything, when it comes to food is going up these days. I don't think that's to far out of line pricewise.

But OTOH you would think that bulk bag of 55 pounds of beans would get some kind of a price break. Check around first before purchasing and see if you can beat it elsewhere. If I come up with anything better I'll post it here.

I did find this... http://www.yaac.net/bep.html

Ranch Budget - Black-Eyed Peas Est. Cost

Land Cost** $100.00
Water 40.00
Land Preparation (Tractor Work) 115.00
Seed (Est. 50# per acre) 18.00
Fertilizer 10.00
Chemicals 20.00
Irrigation 15.00
Harvest 35.00
Cleaning and Bagging 12.00
Administration 5.00
Total Cost (Per Acre) $370.00
Expected Yield
1,100.00 pounds per acre
Market
$0.35.00 per pound
Total Income (Per Acre) $385.00
Net Crop Income (Per Acre) $15.00

7th
 
#5 ·
Thanks Seventh.

This Hindu joint already has a fairly good price for the area. They sell smaller amts of the beans for $1.50/lb and the big bag comes to $1.30/lb. Not an immense discount, but still a discount. And I can't blame them for trying to make a buck. Plus, if they're at all new to this continent, probably I was expected to haggle.
 
#6 ·
I can't answer the question directly, since I don't buy most of the food around here, but I can tell you how I would approach the problem. Namely, figure out the price per pound of beans that you can buy elsewhere in the largest quantity available. If $1.29 a pound (55 pounds for $71) is less, buy them.

$71 is not much money, and 55 pounds is a LOT of beans. And beans are good food--dry beans are especially good because they can be stored for a long time. Why fret over stuff like this? If the S really did HTF, how much would 55 pounds of beans be worth to you?

Tim
 
#12 ·
True, but I'm always trying to keep things as economical as possible, and also I have this strong natural instinct against being ripped off.

Yes I agree with Ray55, here in the south iv never heard of Black Eyed Beans, only Black Eyed Peas, and this style of pea is like a small bean, nothing like a green pea, so you may need to buy small amount take home and cook for taste first before you spend the $70+ dollars, cause the real truth of what those beans or peas are, might just be lost in translation
Black eyed peas are known here, and they're different than what I bought. But while Googling, I came across a site where the issue of these Indian beans are perhaps really peas came up. Peas are a lot less nutritious than beans, fewer proteins.... Taste test, yes for sure.

I bought mine over a couple of years. What I can't find here at any price is wheat. I'll have to have that shipped which seems ridiculous. Rice yes, wheat no.
I'll definitely take a look in WalWorld next time I'm in the USA. With wheat, you first need a mill and I've never gotten over that hurdle. Seems you need to spend a LOT of money to get a good one. And the health food stores that you would expect to carry them are strange about it and don't- maybe they can smell the right wing in action.
 
#7 ·
Every time I see dried beans I remember when my friend and I were sticking things in our noses and shooting them at armymen--way pre-nintendo--. My friend thought if one bean could only knock down 1 army guy then 2 for 2 etc. He put 7 in one nostril. When he went to "fire" nothing. Then he started freaking out a little. It took his mom about 20 minutes to stop laughing and help him get the swollen beans out.
 
#8 ·
Looked up Allbulkfoods.com the prices quoted to you @ $1.30 lb for blackeyed beans per 50/55 lbs seem to be right in the ballpark for most popular types beans, Sweets . The blackeyed "peas" we have here in the south look about the same as your "beans". Don't know if they are or aren't, it's probably just be a regional "word" thing....anyways the peas we have are about 3/8" long X 3/16" diameter . and are damn good cooked with some bacon drippings ,salt pork or ham for seasonings and your favorite spices.
 
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#10 ·
Yes I agree with Ray55, here in the south iv never heard of Black Eyed Beans, only Black Eyed Peas, and this style of pea is like a small bean, nothing like a green pea, so you may need to buy small amount take home and cook for taste first before you spend the $70+ dollars, cause the real truth of what those beans or peas are, might just be lost in translation
 
#13 ·
OK, it seems that 'black eyed peas' are in fact actually beans. The usual ones look a bit different from the Indian version I just bought but assuming it's just a minor difference in appearance, the question becomes: can you make good "boston baked beans" (always my preferred way to prepare and eat beans) using black eyed peas? Time will tell!
 
#14 ·
Black eyed peas & beans are the same thing. Just called different things in different regions.

They are not the choice for baked beans. Black eyed beans are best IMO simmered with some pork on the bone. Like after cutting slices off pork shoulder. Then use the bone along with the remaining meat that is on the bone to simmer along with the beans.

Baked beans are normally something like kidney beans. But personally I like doing a mix of beans & bacon is the meat of choice.
 
#16 ·
My silver haired mother just said they should work with the family recipe, which in fact involves pork on the bone, but then again she said any bean will work unless it doesn't. Making some up tomorrow, pressure cooker version of Boston baked beans but there is no difference. Mixed in some pinto beans, which is what I've use recently (no navy beans on the local market). Seems the yuppies have taken over.
 
#19 ·
I don't think $1.29/lb is a bad price.

It doesn't take much pork to flavor them up. My neighbor lady (now deceased) would make them in an electric crock pot twice a month. She would get about three quarts from a batch. Keep in mind that most of that pork shoulder was cut into pork steaks. So the cost was real low.
 
#20 ·
Personally, I think a variety of dried beans & some rice should be a staple for preppers.

I stock up on 1lb canned hams when I find them on sale. Makes it easy to make ham & beans. Haven't tried it but imagine you can use spam/treat to do the same thing. Make the meat go as far as you can & adding it to beans is a good way of doing it.
 
#23 ·
Rinse your beans thoroughly and pick out small pebbles and dirt Soak overnight , drain & add new water and then cook.. Don't ever add cold water to hot beans while cooking it split's the beans. If you must add water use hot water. Do Not add salt while cooking beans it makes them tough, other seasonings are ok while cooking though. Pintos, kidneys, red beans, and navy's all cook well with a couple oz's of salt pork , adding some bacon drippings adds flavor , throw a couple cloves of garlic in when you start and mash them on the side of pan when they're soft and stir in for more flavor , you can also mash a few beans and stir them in to thicken the bean liquor. salt and pepper to taste. Bon apetite
 
#25 ·
Making Boston baked beans, which is about the only way I do make them these days, it's also important not to add the sugar and molasses until the last part of the process. It seems to dry the beans out and keep them tough. Once I start buying big bags of them, I will have to branch out or end up throwing a lot out after the natural oils have evaporated away.
 
#26 ·
I make the cowboy bacon & beans which is an enhanced boston baked beans. MMMMMM bacon. I don't add any sweet till its entirely cooked & ready to serve. I do the taste test to determine how much to add.
On the other hand, I don't add brown sugar when I pressure can it, only use liquid sweetener. And have used a mix of pancake syrups. And those I've given a jar to have asked when I'm making more.
 
#30 ·
Sweets
Do you guys have Mexican/Latin markets up there? Here you can buy all kinds of beans by the 50 pound bags pretty cheap, we also have a couple of restaurant supply stores that sell beans and rice in 1,5,20 and 50 pound bags.
I try to put about half rice and beans in six gallon buckets with screw on lids, I put about 4 lbs of rice or beans in 1 gallon Mylar bags that I seal with my homemade sealer and put them in the buckets so so I dont have to open a larger bag.

Casey
 
#31 ·
Latinos mostly avoid living here, it must be cold or something. OK, it is. Anyway, I do think that tends to keep the demand for larger amounts of beans down. But if As HH says the ones I have found are selling for what's a fair price in Florida, I'm satisfied. FL always seems to have bottom line no nonsense costs.
 
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