Back to Basics 24 - How to Cook Chickpeas

"Why would you cook chickpeas when you can buy canned?"-you ask
Well, #1 it's fresher. Who knows how long those chickpeas have been in that can? Plus the can might contain BPA which we don't like.
#2 it's cheaper! You can buy organic chickpeas, or any bean for that matter, and it will be cheaper than the organic canned beans or maybe even the conventional ones!
#3 you get to choose the consistency you want for your beans. You can cook them for longer, or add different spices and herbs to flavor them.

Plus it's really not that hard! You barely do any work. I'll show you.

Ingredients

-1 cup of organic chickpeas

-4 cups of water

Directions

-First things first, lay out the 1 cup of chickpeas on a sheet pan. Look for any stones or ugly looking chickpeas and throw them out.

-Then, combine your chickpeas and the 4 cups of water in a pot. Cover and let it soak overnight.

-This is what they look like in the morning:

-Drain the beans, add them back to that pot and add another 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil.

-Then, lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours, or longer if you want softer chickpeas.

This is what they look like once they're done.

I don't add salt at all, but if you want to, you have to add salt at the end. I have heard that adding salt in the beginning can make the beans tough.

You can drain the beans and freeze them. I use them right away to make hummus. I have 2 recipes, one for a classic hummus and one for a lighter hummus.