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January 6th is National Bean Day #NationalBeanDay. I had meant to have David get a bag of Pinto Beans last night when he went to the Grocery Store but I forgot. It’s so cold here I wanted to have Pinto Beans, Sweet Cornbread and Fried Taters with Hamburger Patties for dinner. Instead we are having Spaghetti because Charlie asked for it.
I remember as a child going to my grandmothers home and she would have cans of Campbell’s Bean Soup in the pantry. My brother and my mom always ate this Soup and even though I like Beans and Campbell’s Soup I didn’t like this Soup. Charlie hasn’t ever had it and I doubt he or Charlie would eat it so its back to the stove to make a pot of Beans for tomorrow. Would you want to join us for dinner?
National Bean Day on January 6th falls in the middle of Winter, gives families the perfect excuse to cook a favorite comfort food Beans of any style and any kind. If your wondering why National Bean Day is held on January 6th that’s the same day as the famous geneticist, Gregor Mendel, died in 1884.
Mendel used Bean Plants and Pea Plants to develop theories on genetics in Plants. So the formation of National Bean Day has more to do with scientific development than how good Bean recipes taste. Don’t let that fact stop you from eating Beans on National Bean Day.
National Bean Day Activities
- Beans certainly aren’t the only ingredient in Chili but as any serious Chili cook knows, finding the right Beans is the key to make or break your recipe. Although I do eat Beans in Chili at times I prefer no, Beans in my Chili. How about you. Beans or no, Beans and why?
- The first Chili cook-off took place in 1967 in Texas, so cooks have had plenty of time to perfect their techniques and find the best kinds of Beans to use in there recipes.
- If you like Vegetarian Chili, Beans will be the primary ingredient.
- If Chili is one of the most popular Bean-based foods for people to create their own recipes, creating a personalized Baked Beans recipe is a close second. Don’t be afraid to experiment with Baked Beans recipes on National Bean Day. Try a few different types of Beans or add some different ingredients to give your Baked Beans recipe a unique flavor. Did you know I have my own Baked Bean Recipe but I couldn’t share it because I never measure when cooking . Do you?
- If it helps, you can even sing the “magical fruit” song while cooking your recipe.
- Dried Beans are great in recipes, but Beans also work really well for creating craft and art projects for kids. To celebrate National Bean Day your family could create a mosaic that includes a variety of Seeds and different sizes and colors of Beans. This can be a lot of fun for kids. Don’t forget Bean art puts Macaroni art to shame, especially on National Bean Day.
Why We Love National Bean Day
Beans aren’t just for dinner some Beans are best served for dessert like Jelly Beans which are one of the most popular Candies around. There’s even a Chili flavor of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans. Boston Baked Beans are great Candies too. Even though Jelly Beans and the Candy-coated Peanuts that make up Boston Baked Beans aren’t the same as traditional Beans, they still taste great. Go ahead and eat Candy Beans on National Bean Day.
If you choose to celebrate National Bean Day by trying a few different kinds of Beans, you’ll have a whole bunch of them to sample. Including Green String Beans, Pinto Beans, Navy Beans, Black Beans, and Red Kidney Beans are among the most popular types of Beans grown in the United States.
If you’re looking to save a bit of money on your food bill, Beans are among the most cost effective foods you can eat. If you’re looking for a source of protein that’s quite a bit cheaper than Beef or Chicken, Beans are the answer. Did you know a cooked Bean’s weight is between 6% and 11% protein?
Recipe for Bean Soup
Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hour 40 mins Total Time: 2 hours 5 mins Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package dried navy beans
7 cups water
1 ham bone
2 cups diced ham
¼ cup minced onion
½ teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
½ cup sliced carrots
½ cup sliced celery
Directions
- Gather all ingredients.
- Rinse beans; transfer to a large stockpot and add water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes; remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
- Add ham bone, diced ham, onion, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beans are soft, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Add carrots and celery; cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove ham bone from the pot and place on a cutting board until cool enough to handle. Remove any meat from the bones and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Stir into soup until warmed through. Serve and enjoy!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
