A cashier's comment about my beans

I was buying six cans of black beans at the grocery store last Tuesday, and the cashier said, 'You must really like beans.' I told her they were for chili, and she just shrugged and said, 'You know dried are about a third the price, right?' I'd never even looked at the dried bean aisle. Now I soak a big batch on Sundays, and it saves me around $8 a week. Anyone have a good trick for flavoring them up besides just salt?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_singh9d ago

Grocery store cashiers are the real life pro-tip ninjas, hiding in plain sight. That one comment basically gave you a weekly raise. My dried beans always get a smoked ham hock tossed in the pot, makes them taste like they cooked all day.

nina14727d ago

That cashier did you a solid, honestly. It's wild how we just accept the canned version of things without even looking at the cheaper, better option right next to it. Happens with everything from beans to cleaning supplies. You get stuck in a routine at the store and miss the simple swaps. For flavor, try throwing a halved onion and a couple bay leaves in the pot while they simmer.

john_singh27d ago

My local store had canned chickpeas for $1.29, but the dried bag was 89 cents for triple the amount. It felt like finding money. I started doing the same with lentils for soup. The texture is way better from dried, and you control the salt. For flavor, I'll sometimes cook mine in broth instead of water, or add a spoonful of tomato paste.