SHOPPING LIST: Cooking Skills: Pulses and Beans 1, Chapter 2 (Soaking and Cooking)

Dried cannellini or haricot beans, dried red kidney beans, dried black beans, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, fresh thyme and rosemary, dried oregano, smoked paprika, olive oil, lemons, bicarbonate of soda (a pinch), freezer bags or tubs, a permanent marker, flaked sea salt and black pepper.

A pot of white beans with aromatics (about 700 g cooked)
[ ] 300 g dried cannellini or haricot beans
[ ] 1 onion, halved
[ ] 1 carrot, halved
[ ] 3 garlic cloves, bruised
[ ] 2 bay leaves
[ ] 2 sprigs thyme
[ ] 1.5 litres cold water
[ ] 1 tsp flaked sea salt
[ ] 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Kidney beans the safe way (about 700 g cooked)
[ ] 300 g dried red kidney beans
[ ] 1 onion, halved
[ ] 2 garlic cloves, bruised
[ ] 2 bay leaves
[ ] 1.5 litres cold water, plus more for soaking
[ ] 1 tsp flaked sea salt

Black beans with bay and garlic (about 700 g cooked)
[ ] 300 g dried black beans
[ ] 1 onion, finely chopped
[ ] 4 garlic cloves, sliced
[ ] 2 bay leaves
[ ] 1 tsp ground cumin
[ ] 1 tsp smoked paprika
[ ] 1.5 litres cold water
[ ] 1 lime or lemon, juice
[ ] 1 tsp flaked sea salt

A bean batch cooked and frozen (about 6 portions)
[ ] 500 g dried beans of your choice (not red kidney unless boiled hard)
[ ] 1 onion, halved
[ ] 2 bay leaves
[ ] 3 litres cold water
[ ] 2 tsp flaked sea salt
[ ] 6 freezer tubs or bags
[ ] 1 permanent marker

For the experiments
[ ] Freezer tubs
[ ] A large heavy pan
[ ] A permanent marker