The perfect survival food

Pinto beans have been a stable food for many southerners for decades. I remember going to my grandmother’s house as a child, the smell of fresh pinto beans and cornbread filled the air. My grandparents where poor as church mice yet pinto beans and cornbread where always on the table no matter their poverty.

My grandmother was an excellent cook. She could turn the most basic foods into the best tasting, filling and nutritious foods. I just wish I had had the foresight to learn all I could from her while she was alive, but like most kids I spent my time chasing childish pursuits and gold at the end of the rainbow.

Pinto beans kept many families from starving during the depression of the 1930’s. Cornbread and beans were always there regardless of their impoverishment. If you have a supply of pinto beans you’ll never hunger. They are important in the diet, and easy on the budget, allowing the survivor to stock up with hundreds of pounds, with little cash. Many consider the pinto bean to be the perfect survival food.

Pinto beans contain approximately twice as much protein as cereal grains and on a per-serving basis, about half as much protein as lean meat. Beans are low in fat, high in carbohydrates and are a good source of iron and fiber.

My local Save-A-Lot food store has halstead pinto beans in the twenty-five pound bag for $13.95. Twenty-five pounds of pinto beans turns into seventy-five pounds of food when cooked. At 56 cents a pound, dried, that’s a little over 18 cents for a pound of cooked beans. That’s a lot of food for the money no matter how you cook it.

I find myself eating pinto beans in one form or another at least three times a week. Some may balk at the thought of eating any food three times a week but when you live on little money, saving every penny becomes important; coming up with innovative ways of cooking and processing to make every meal unique becomes necessary to alleviate boredom.

On Monday morning I put mix six cups of water and two cups of beans, two tea spoons of salt and a teaspoon of pepper in a large cooker with lid. Most of the time I cook the beans on top of the wood stove or outside over an open fire, since pinto beans take approximately four hours to finish cooking, depending on the heat, I prefer using my propane for other less intensive cooking if possible.

Check the contents every thirty minutes or so and if needed ad another cup of water to keep from burning. When they become soft to the touch they are done. Serve with cornbread and onions or peppers for flavor.

On Tuesday, I use the cooked beans to make homemade chili. Take three cups pinto beans mix with two cups dark red kidney beans in bowl. Fry one pound of hamburger or finely ground deer meat, mince one medium onion and add to meat and drain away liquid, add mixture to beans, add two 16 oz cans of tomato sauce and chili powder to taste.

Wednesday is bean cake day. Take left over beans from those cooked on Monday add one well beaten egg, one minced medium onion, one and a half cups of flour and stir, salt and pepper to taste, lightly grease frying pan and prepare like you would pancakes.

If any of you have a favorite bean recipe or other unique way of preparing pinto beans please let me know.
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